When seeing this prompt from Bjorn at dVerse Poets “Today I want you to use Onomatopoeia in your poem, to strengthen the imagery through its sound” I thought back to a poem I had written a number of years ago (2016) that had use of such, though briefly, and that I included as part of a post of remembrance for my dear Shoes, aka “The Big Orange”, who passed away about a year into living in a new place, along with Bella, with me single again, after a breakup.
Now this apartment, a wonderful little place, happened to be just across the Hudson from the train tracks that ran along the river. I found comfort in my two furry sidekicks but also in the sound of those trains at night and wrote about them then and my new found solitude.
Being reminded of it though, and with a new eye, I thought to a bit of re-work and to expand with Bjorn’s prompt in mind.
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Trains Pass
Trains pass
rumble and clack, clackety clack, clack clackety, clack and rumble in order, order
across a river
Pass past the meander of tugs doing silent heavy water work
only in the shoulder length soft splash – wash – splash – wash – splash wash wake
felt
in the night
in other times
any proof they were even there
.
They pass the overgrown cat’s couch comforter
Bella
unawares
through my tiny comfy disturbing
nothing
not even a single dining room chair
.
from a neighbor’s dinner
unawares
throwing air tasted
Island stereo song scent treats into every corner of this new tiny
from below my feet
familial familiar clink clink clink laughing silverware china clink clink
wishing if only for a fork and an invite
.
Shoes
To my left
in purr-in purr-out purr-in purr-out even cat breath measure
matches the clackety’s and the clacks and the clack clackety’s
from across a river
.
There’s rhythm, melody, music in trains
and scents
in the linger of a stranger’s daily
below my feet waking, cooking, fighting, living, laughing
the couch
overgrown comforter sleeps as do left bed purr-in purr-out sides
while trains pass in clackety clack clack clackety time
carrying
sleeping cats
scented hungry music
in a clackety rhythm
of strange new comfort
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