As a small boy
That steam locomotive
Long, black and
Right in my face
As a small boy
That red diesel locomotive
Moving from idle humming to a roar
Louder, louder than any lion
As a larger boy
The view outside
Ever chancing
Yet the same
As a larger boy
The view inside
Someone to
Fantasize about
As an older boy
Realizing that
Grandparents
Don’t live forever
As an older boy
Experiencing that
Ist dieser Sitz frei?
Can get off to a good start
As a young draftee
Reading names
Inscribed on a brass plaque
In a silent corner of the station
As a young working man
That horseshoe curve in the mountain
Must have been hard work
Harder than my imagination
Today the train was due
And overdue
When I asked: Is this taken
Not a seat was free
And this old man
Wrote this poem
Still fascinated
And feeling older
Icy blue water showing through thin ice
Train crossing on the bridge high above
On silver tracks worn slick with the years,
The trestle creaking, boxcars screeching
One after another streaks of daylight
Blipping through the narrow passages,
Housing enormous couplers, air brakes
Occasionally squealing cryptic messages
Graffiti on the sides with sidewalk crayons
Like strange Middle Eastern languages
Moving too rapidly to be translated,
Steam escaping, whistling for a crossing
Several miles on the other side of the river.
written March 8, 2022
The Conductor
David J Walker
The low rumbling voice
Of the locomotive reminded me
Of my time traveling days from this to
Another place
another time
In space
That would become Mine as well
Where the young sang
Love songs in romance
Languages unknown
In this today
The engineer poet played his prose
On his whistle in echoed harmonies
on the landscape
While trees danced to the tune in the
Midnight rambling concert
In the moonscape
I have been the passenger
I have been the
Engineer
I have been the conductor
On the passage to portholes
Both far and near
And now
I am content to listen to
The train pass
Knowing at last
Where it is going
It’s echo in the distance
Clear
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.
A locomotive
Barreling through blizzard's tracks
The engines pump fiercely
Churning white skies into black
Hot with steamy rage
Its whistle screams into the air
Reminding all who hear it
A monster is drawing near
It doesn't care for winter
Or the snowdrifts piling on
It feeds on the very mountains
And breathes fire from their ore
And as darkness falls across the land
This train, keeps coming on
It's glowing eyes shining bright
Onto beds of steel and rock
I hear it in the distance, now
It wails into the night
And cast a chill right through me
More than the snow and ice
The ground begins to tremble
The air grows colder still
And I loathe that locomotive
That comes against my will
My bags I've packed with this and that
And family waits to send me off
Underneath the cold starlight
Where that train will soon be stopped
Then off to fight another fight
I've heard that call to arms
But it's this train I fear the most
For it takes me off to war
The Locomotive
The mighty Locomotive,
Was the muscle of its day.
Moving freight and passengers,
Down a steel highway.
It’s beauty and it’s romance,
Made headlines near and far.
Train robberies and train wrecks,
It had become a star.
The Locomotive was thought to be,
Man's answer to the world.
Until new and better innovations,
Soon would be unfurled.
As all things do there come a time,
It certainly looked for sure.
That the mighty Locomotives day,
Was going to be no more.
It had all but died away,
Till it was born again.
The Diesel took the place of Steam,
New life it had regained.
It still hauls freight as always,
That will never end
And passengers get more scenic rides
Across this majestic land.
The mighty Locomotive,
May not be the star these days.
But it will be a long-time coming,
Before it fades away.
Steam powered steel wheels,
pushing pistons in cycles
of captured time.
Great locomotive
Blowing glorious whistle
Rumbling down the tracks
Leaving sense of longing peace
With rhythms greatest moments
Russell Sivey
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