So, as the Crazy Train hits the last stop
down that long Randy Rhode,
let's gather in the dining car,
put a fork in the War Pig,
and feast on bat heads.
RIP Prince of Darkness.
The entire train became quiet and still, and it is usually shady
All because of the entrance of a Victorian-clad dressed up lady.
Who is she? I asked. No one seemed to know, but they were all in awe.
She’s a cat in a dressy dress, I thought, so lah-dee-dah.
In the dining car it happened again. All went still when she walked in.
What is it about her? I wondered, she was dressed up to her chin.
So I finally asked the guy who had stopped laughing, not even a grin.
It’s Miss Havvisham from Great Expectations, and ain’t she prim?
I hear protesters comin’, comin’ round the bend
And I ain’t left the house since I don’t know when
I’m stuck in Covid Prison and time keeps draggin’ on
But the protesters keep comin’
Closer to my home.
When I said well maybe, my Doctor told me why
I oughta get the shot just so I didn’t die
When I hear that mob a screamin’
I hang my head and cry.
I bet there’s rich folks eatin’ in a fancy dining car
They’re probably drinkin’ coffee and chattin’ from afar
But I know I had it comin’, I know I can’t be free
But those protesters keep chantin’
And that’s what tortures me.
If I were freed from Covid prison
If that vaccine card was mine
I bet there’d be no protest, everything would be just fine.
Far from Covid prison, that’s where I want to stay
And I’d let those screamin’ vaxxers
Throw my masks away.
**WITH APOLOGIES TO JOHNNY CASH…..
The most relaxed woman I have ever met, and yet seems quite sane.
Watched her nap in the dining car while bandits were robbing the train.
She slept through gunfire, and barely stirred during her little sleep.
Did she hear the screaming? No. She slumbered and deep.
Is she okay? The detectives asked after they had questioned the rest.
Don’t know, I replied. Let’s give her the ultimate sure-fire mom test.
So, we got as quiet as this carload of strangers could ever get.
And that professional mother came up rapidly, with fire and spit.
Why is it so quiet? What is going on here? She demanded to know.
Surprised, for she had missed the entire bandit shooting show.
Something is off, she said. With many children, it is never this quiet.
Did not stop asking until we rewound the tape showing her the riot.
I knew something was wrong, she said. Next time wake me up, okay?
This woman was the mother of sixteen children, happy and gay.
She had raised them to be responsible and never start a fight or riot.
I learned a professional mother wakes when people get quiet.
Straight moves the locomotive train miles
Traveling over desert flatland forging ahead,
Coal steam engine Number 9 chug, chug, chug,
Sound waves rolls through, satisfying sensation is said.
Locomotive whistle sounds station steam rolling in,
Little one hears repeats ‘choo-choo’ rolls to stop,
All aboard! Rolls locomotion moving, snack on tasty
Peanut brittle, readying for dining car delicious hop.
Mom holds little son on her lap, with sounds
Cowboys and Indians along the train,
Surprise action wonder, heard of Hereford
Beef cattle is west trademark railroad vein.
Character western attitude locomotive fun
How the west was won whistle-stop rustic town,
Gold payload brought on of family and cousin
Forge ahead, chug along, Heaven brings us together joyous sound.
Upon entering the dining car
on the Oriental Express Train
to the Far East,
I tried to remove the wine bottle cork
with a knife; severed an artery, and died.
Climb the terrain slowly, the nature's wonder is unfolding
Look afar, the Rocky Mountain peaks are beholding
Marvel the scenic wonder of rising bluish hues
Catch the rainbow hiding behind snow covered views.
Roam the glowing clouds with a dessert in the dining car
Glance at the meadows of fiery red near and afar
Cross through the Moffat Tunnel the Continental Divide
Pass the Canyons by the Colorado River on a noisy ride.
Wake up to the elevation of brilliant gold Aspen trees
Lift up, the Sierra Nevada glows in snow dusted peaks
Fly with the blue birds in the granite mountain breeze
Meander among the chorus of falling golden leaves.
August 12, 2017
Placed 2nd: Your choice (8) contest by Brian Strand
Placed 6th: Mountains--by Julie Rodeheaver
~~
Into the heart of Canada on a winter journey,
On the northern steam train to James Bay;
A scenic tour with a dining car and sleeping beds,
I steamed through glacial peaks and fir trees.
Past snow covered fields and across bridges,
High on breathtaking deep canyon trestles;
Slowly up steep slopes and around sharp curves,
Past rolling hills and deep, dangerous ravines.
Along frozen streams and watchful wildlife,
Into an underground tunnel that was so dark;
Great the rushing waters of a river over worn rocks,
We plunged into a canyon floor and up again.
And we glided to a stop with the steam blowing,
Into the blue sky of James Bay, Ontario, Canada;
I stood there in total bliss and awe with my excursion,
Excited I could not wait for the return journey.
___________________________
January 20, 2015
Poetry/Verse/Into The North
Copyright Protected, ID 01-634-694-20
All Rights Reserved, 2015, Constance La France
For the Premier contest, Railway Journeys,
sponsor Shadow Hamilton, Judged 02/2015
Third Place