This Train

A sad and lonely love poem (most of my love poems are like that) I wrote in February of this year (nothing to do with Valentine's Day, I swear). I wrote it with a rhythm and repeating phrases, almost like it was a song, but the melody, or lack thereof, is completely up to the reader.

This Train

I’ve been ringing the bell on this train
The light rail of my heavy heart
The subway running where no one can see
But how could you not feel the rumbling when it goes by?
The whistle shouts “Get off the track”
Or you could just get on board
This train, it stops at every station
And sometimes it waits for you
But if you’re slow, you’ll miss it
It can’t wait forever
I’ve got to keep moving on
Stations come and go
This train stops at every one
Hoping you’ll be there
The lights stare through the tunnel
Perilously searching
For what the conductor can’t see
This train, it breaks out of the dark
And it would shine in the sun
But it’s been long neglected
It’s better off in darkness
I’ve got to keep moving on
There’s a place where the track ends
Turning back on itself
At the last stop the train is abandoned
Passengers flee to the rest of their lives
The end of the line is the scariest place I’ve ever been
What happens if the train never comes back?
This train, it may break down
And it has from time to time
But do you ever notice?
It won’t inconvenience you
I can’t keep going on

—Adrienne McKay 2010