Midweek Writer-Rummage - A Little Poem
After innumerable false starts, I have finally ditched the excuses and started writing again. Instead of launching straight into the next story, thought I’d start with a few exercises to prime the writing muscle - God knows how flabby it's become! Cracked open my book on writing prompts, and picked ‘The Last Stop Before Arrival’. I wrote about train journeys, and what I do and think about when I get to the last stop before my destination. When I re-read it, I liked what I’d written about trains, and decided to turn it into a poem …
Train Journeys
Time, once again, to get on the train …
Been on so many trains
From deafening, teeth-rattling, slam-door trains
To quieter, modern, push-button trains
Tidy and clean, but not usually so
Comfortable seats, but not always so
Food on a trolley
That’s rolled past your seat
Though sometimes no trolley
Goes past your seat
Are rations required?
Then walking required
Usually through crowds
Fight through the hordes
For a drink, a sandwich, a bag of crisps
Then it’s the struggle back to your seat
“Excuse me-sorry …”
Lurch to the side
“Sorry-excuse me …”
Clutch tight your prize
Stubbornly swearing it’s worth it.
Sigh with pleasure on near-empty trains
Try not to murder on jam-packed trains
Smile in surprise at the on-time train
Growl in annoyance, the delayed train
Excuses, apologies
Enough already!
Just want to get off the damned train.