Best Amtrak Poems
Black beard
Was feared.
Kim Jong
Heads wrong.
Home grown
Trump clone.
Fat boy
Food joy.
Sun baked
Nose caked.
Fresh bread
Well fed.
Aged scotch
Top notch.
Amtrak
Rail track.
Choc ice
Tastes nice.
War room
More gloom.
Stay cool
In pool.
Jail spell
Sheer hell.
Dark nights
Street lights.
Fab four
No more.
Flatline
Bad sign.
Written 16th September 2020.
Categories:
amtrak, humor,
Form:
Footle
The Great Plains
Vast expanse of land,
Virginal, pure, and yet shaped by man’s hands,
A rich and lustrous corn carpet,
An open land with distant horizon
Where man’s green fields and nature’s blue sky meet
Cows and deer fearlessly frolic
On man’s earth, bucolic
With the long spidery electrical wires,
The tall water sprinkler towers
That the cornfield requires
Lone truckers headed to distant cities,
With microwaves, shoes, juice boxes, and other nitty-gritties
Loaded with goods of everyday need,
Unable to ignore this picture painted by man
Cruising at a ginger speed
In this isolation, man’s cares are forgotten,
He abandons his city life rotten
Incredible peace gently seeps,
The deep, satisfying solitude
For an eternity in his mind he keeps
He will again roam the vast land with a new sense of freedom,
Re-live his life as sacred
Such are the magnanimous Great Plains of this wondrous land,
Which bring tears to my eyes
Dumbstruck, on this land of numerous possibilities I stand.
_____________________________________________________________
Inspired by a cross-country Amtrak trip from New York City to Kingman, AZ
Categories:
amtrak, adventure, america, nature, passion,
Form:
Romanticism
It happened without any action on my part.
All I had to do was just say, "Yes, I will go".
Moreover, it was not my dream, but my friend's.
However, from a child, I have been an avid sports fan.
My games of choice, and my childhood fantasies
were baseball, basketball, and later on, football.
From a child, I had pictured myself on the field of dreams playing baseball. When reality set in, I was content to see myself in the stands.
In 1974, I attended my first MLB game in Chicago. In 1984, I attended a Harlem Globe Trotters game in Oakland, Ca.
In or about 1990, I attended my first NBA game in Sacramento, Ca.
That left one major American sport to go, and it was a long-shot.
In fact, such a feat was buried deep in the bottom of my bucket list.
There were certainly other things placed in a higher priority, but life
happens, and so often we have very little to do with the happenings.
So in 2019, I was invited by a friend to attend an NFL game in K.C., Mo.,
and after a Greyhound Bus, an Amtrak Train, a rented car, and nearly a
4000 mile round trip, that game became the most recent item kicked off
my bucket list. In a very real sense, there were two buckets in one, shared by friends. My life's venture came as a gift. Who knew?
111220PSCtest, What Have You Kicked Off On Your Bucket List,
Chantelle Anne Cooke. 2P
Categories:
amtrak, giving, life, love, sports,
Form:
Narrative
I went on a road trip with my brother and dad
And I want to share the time that I had
We left from Indiana to New York City we were heading
To be a part of my sisters wedding
I didn't have the kids so I thought yes smooth trip
I lied to myself sure was fooled forget it
We had to keep stopping it just would'nt last
For some strange reason we kept running out of gas fast
My dad got hungry as his stomack loudly grawles
But there wasn't another rest stop for at least 20 miles
We had a smooth ride until traffic started to jam
We got restless trying to do anything we can
Then the cops pulled us over and issued a speeding ticket
I'm not the driver I'm not paying it
The wedding was beautiful and so was she
I got to see my best friend and spend time with family
now Iam sad and feel so alone
Back on this long trip it's quiet all the way home
For vacation this summer I plan to go back
But this time Iam taking the kids and riding the amtrak
FOR VIVA VACATION CONTEST
Categories:
amtrak, adventuretime, time, vacation,
Form:
Rhyme
Paid Time Off,
it is time to explore.
Bus ticket in hand,
route carefully planned,
the engine begins to roar..
the greyhound slices across the terrain,
in the rain.
Slipping and sliding, I'm nervous,
as we swerve into the oncoming lane.
Hail cracks the window pane
next to me.
It is hard to relax..
I think I'll switch to Amtrak!!
Jared Pickett
03/28/2010
Asavvy1
Categories:
amtrak, lifetime,
Form:
An old southern tradition said to bring good luck throughout the year,
Is to eat black-eyed peas on New Years Day, a custom they hold so dear.
This Yankee boy had never heard of such 'til I wed my Confederate spouse!
Now, sixty years later we still observe that strange practice at our house!
Be that as it may, I'm not all that convinced that it really holds true,
And I'll relate for you a few curious events to prove my point of view!
In January of last year it froze so hard that my water line burst!
Mind you, the year had hardly begun - that was on January the first!
In March it snowed so hard that the blossoms froze on my apple tree!
There'd be no luscious fruit to chomp on for the squirrels, birds or me!
On the fifteenth of April I faithfully submitted my tax forms as required.
I received a notice in July that my presence for an IRS audit was desired!
In August the neighbor kid hit a home run that shattered my windowpane!
My 'in good hands' insurance wouldn't cover the cost, much to my disdain!
In October the airline lost all of our luggage, which is no great surprise!
(Hence, we'll ride AMTRAK when we travel in lieu of the friendly skies!)
I reckon my run of tough luck is just one of the rummy vicissitudes of life,
But oft' I muse, "Lord, is it only to me that such things happen so rife?"
(This was written with considerable tongue in cheek and to have a little fun.
I'll keep on eatin' black-eyed peas to better my luck, when all is said and done!)
Robert L. Hinshaw, CMSgt, USAF, Retired
© All Rights Reserved
Categories:
amtrak, funny, january, new years
Form:
Rhyme
From the Black Hills to the prairies,
he sighed as his eyes turned hard & dark
That was the path of the Buffalo,
His finger traced a wide & sweeping arc
You could tell he longed to be out there
Just his dreams & the wide open plains,
Crying out in triumph, as a buffalo he slew
Now, the prairie is filled with big rigs & amtrak trains
Still he dances & honors the old ways
and waits for the prophecy to come true
From Texas in to Saskatchewan,
he sighed as his eyes turned hard & dark
Along the Western Trail they pushed the longhorns
His finger traced a wide & sweeping arc
You could tell he longed to be out there
Just his dreams & a dusty cattle trail
Now, the cattle trails are covered in asphalt
And Big rigs haul everything from cattle to the U.S. mail
Still he rides & honors a time long past
Marveling at the blending of trails, old & new
From Hoover Dam out across the desert,
he sighed as his eyes turned hard & dark
That's the route the big rigs run,
His finger traced a wide & sweeping arc
You could tell he longed to be out thereJust his dreams & a wide open highway,
In a decked out Peterbilt, shiny & brand new
a different road, another adventure as night blends to day
Hauling cattle, freight or cars, didn't matter
each sunrise brings a different picture window view
© January 2004
Categories:
amtrak, cowboy-western, introspection, life, nostalgia,
Form:
Cowboy Poetry
always prided herself on
what she believed to be the
“right way to live,”
standing up straight, abiding
by the rules, going to church,
paying her parking ticket on
time, doing her 9 to 5 gig every
monday thru friday, always
on her soapbox & always
having it easy cause’ she never
got her morality put to the
test.
her favorite cousin asked her
to come visit the city &
though inside she was a bit
reluctant, she hadn’t seen her
cousin for such a long time &
the summer was the time for
having a little fun anyway
(so she told herself), so the
hop on the Amtrak was quick &
lo & behold, she arrived at
Penn Station
round 4:00 pm.
that night they went out on the
town, the group of them &
when crossing the street she
heard a scream---it was shrill
& short, as if it had quickly been
muffled---
looking in the direction of where
it had been coming from,
she saw with her very own eyes
a man repeatedly striking a
young woman in the face, whilst
yelling at her in between the blows---
they were more like hard slaps than
punches, but the sound that they made
she swore that she could hear them
over the sound of the cars & the
crowds.
while her friends continued to walk
as if nothing was happening, she
found herself slowing down &
as she watched the scene unfold,
it was over in real time much quicker
than the delay in her brain,
which seemed to vibrate in sync with
the increasingly rapid thump of her
heart.
Categories:
amtrak, life, time, sound, sound,
Form:
Free verse
I would be so excited, standing there on the railroad platform, holding my mothers hand. I had waited for this day. A chance to ride the train to Boston. Impatiently, from time to time, I would lean forward to peer down the track, as if willing the train to arrive.
I heard it before I saw it. First the dinging as the crossing gates lowered, signaling it's approach. Then the scream of the steam whistle and the vibration in the rails. Finally, the choo-chooing as the black behemoth slowed, and the engineer rung the bell, signaling their arrival. Often he would wave and I would wave back. Finally, with steam hissing from the brakes, they would stop, and the smell of coal smoke would fill the air.
We would wait for the conductor in his black suit and hat to step down and place a stool at the foot of the stairs to the passenger car. Even then, it was a big step and he would usually lift me under my arms and place me on the landing, then turn to assist my mothers assent. Once aboard, I would choose our seat. If possible, I always chose one with an unoccupied seat next to it. By so doing, I was able to switch the seat back so that I could ride facing my mother, but more importantly, backward. For some reason, that was part of the thrill of the trip.
Soon, we would hear the “All aboard” called out by the conductor and feel the initial jolt as the train began to move, the chugging growing faster. I would listen to the measured click of the wheels as they moved over the breaks in the rails. Once up to speed, that sound, like the cadence of a metronome, was almost mesmerizing, as the car swayed gently as if keeping time.
That was a magic time. An adventure to be savored. However, sometime in the ensuing years, those times disappeared and assumed the role of memories. Today, I see mothers, holding their child’s hands as they wait to board the Amtrak. Perhaps there is still an excitement there, but it is not the same. And I suspect the engineer doesn't wave anymore.
Categories:
amtrak, adventure, nostalgia, me,
Form:
Narrative
Awards and Recognition
They patted selves on their very own back;
They do have all things which we will lack;
Am so sore,
We are poor,
Live in towers while we survive in a shack.
Many things medals and awards are about;
Who is the one who can give the most out;
Never sure,
Or can endure;
In whole system we do have much doubt.
People are upset like a boiling over kettle;
May meddle with system regarding medal;
Should correct,
Need for respect,
And this subject we should start to settle.
This could also apply to gerrymandering.
A new battle has become part of the game plan.
Who can give out the most awards and medals?
My company and the commander looks the best
when he gives out the most medals and awards.
Here is what I did so I could make mockery of
the system.
I had prepared my own request for the Army
Commendation Medal for my ownself. We were
in the final formation at Annual Training. The
actual Washington Army National Guard
Adjutant General was giving out awards. He
came up to me and was in the process of giving
me my award. He started reading the narrative.
He was about half the way through with the
narrative. He stopped and with a big smile said
that no one else in the world could have written
and prepared this other than me. The whole
Battalion broke out laughing. That was the most
meaningful experience I ever had in my carreer.
This is all absolutely true and correct. I had been
preparing awards for soldiers for over 20 years,
and this was a reflectiob of it.
James Thomas Horn
Personnel Administrator
Company C 3d Battalion 161st Infantry Mechanized
Washington Army National Guard (WAARNG)
17230 NE 95th
Redmond, WA 98052-3226
It is no longer in existance. WAARNG headquarters
is about three miles away from the AMTRAK Train
crash in Dupont, Washington. This is the longest
entry I have ever made. Characters remaining are
less than 700.
Categories:
amtrak, allegory, analogy,
Form:
Limerick
A funny thing happened to or with me this morning during the 11 O'clock hour. During the few moments that I was watering our lemon tree, a train went back. This was the Amtrak and not the commercial cargo locomotive. For the most part, I had always thought upon the trainline behind my property as an annoyance and not an asset. But today, for reasons unknown to me, I was forced to acknowledge my selfishness, the variety that does not always focus upon the common good.
With regards to the sound of trains out back, at one time my prayer would have been, "O Lord, deliver me from the pain of the trains. O Lord, what was I thinking when I bought a home within two football fields from a trainline?
But this morning as I watered the plum and lemon trees, the flowers and the Rose of Sharon, I was not so inclined. As I listened to the sound of the train making her way down the east bound railway line, it dawned on me that I was without the usual whine.
I then, in a moment, refrained from my usual way of thinking and saw the trains as rolling wheels of commerce and many tons of economic activity. There were seeds for the sower and food for the hungry. There were oil tankers, logging cars, and automobiles. Today, I heard the infrequent sounds of horns as safety measures, and found that the rumbling of loaded boxcars behind the protected sound barriers was not so annoying.
73120PSCtest, Completely Your Choice(26) Any Theme Any Form, Strand
Categories:
amtrak, america, pain, self,
Form:
Narrative
riding in Amtrak
southbound to San Diego
viewing scenic coast
Be with my Mommy sometimes on weekend.
The time for the two of us, when we tend
to act like silly girls.
Dancing, doing some twirls
while singing karaoke songs we shared.
she has been gone for years; but our times together live on, I miss her.
1/22/22 Charlie Hai-Lim-Ku Poetry
Charles Messina
Used: How Many Syllables (5/7/5 - 10/10/6/6/10 - 17)
RhymeZone
Categories:
amtrak, dance, girl, missing, silly,
Form:
Monoku
Early Snow in Yankee Land
By Elton Camp
How glad I am to live in the Sunny South
Though I must hear, “Well shut my mouth.”
“Youse guys” have an early start this fall
October snow has knocked out power & all
With heavy, wet snow and gusting wind
Limbs have fallen on power lines again
Your planes can’t fly & your cars can’t roll
So on your lives it is taking a heavy toll
You can’t depend on trains to get you back
Downed trees and signals stopped Amtrak
If you Yankees retire & don’t need to earn
Move South and do yourself a good turn
As long as a tornado doesn’t blow you away
You’ll find the South a far better place to stay
Categories:
amtrak, funny, snow, power, snow,
Form:
Rhyme
Forbidden Chocolate
I was riding psychedelic,
Riding Electric Ladyland,
Inside
The long wheezing worm,
Riding easy,
Through the black snoring night,
Aboard the Amtrak Southwest Chief,
Roaring and rumbling,
Down the track for distant Kansas,
Heading east,
To silent Garden City.
I had donned white earbuds in Barstow,
Connected umbilically,
To my ITunes universe,
And stoned as Hendrix himself,
On forbidden chocolate,
I rode in the windowed lounge car
At midnight,
Observing the vast darkness of America,
At 90 miles an hour.
As Jimi dazzled me with Voodoo Child,
From 1968,
On his white Fender stratocaster,
I saw before me,
The imploding annihilation of the universe,
With passing strobe-light torpedoes,
Pelting my mind like exploding hail stones;
The distant country lights flying by,
And through me,
In a whirring surreal-like blur.
I was riding psychedelic,
Riding Electric Ladyland,
Inside
The long wheezing worm,
Riding easy,
Through the black snoring night,
Across the California expanse
Of wind and sand and stars;
Across the rich pallets
Of Arizona and New Mexico,
The upper tranquil reaches
Of southern Colorado;
The high flat Kansas plains,
Listening to Jimi tear apart the world
Like a rampaging Godzilla,
Coming into Tokyo with his fiery axe!
I saw colors and shadows,
And strange tracings out there,
Flickering like swamp bugs
In the dry darkness,
Aboard the Amtrak Southwest Chief,
Roaring and rumbling,
Down the track for distant Kansas,
Heading east,
To silent Garden City.
Categories:
amtrak, music, travel,
Form:
Free verse
Amtrak with equipment’s endowed
Each car comes with stainless steel shroud
Yet my quiet ride
Was sadly denied
By announcement volumes too loud
Categories:
amtrak, travel,
Form:
Limerick