Trains Pass (poem)

by Stephen J Frankenberry

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

15 thoughts on “Trains Pass (poem)”

  1. Our daily lives do tend to have a rhythm to them. I was in the city recently and I really enjoyed the echo of the train horn, then the gentle clickety clack you describe in your poem. Wonderful inspiration with your two furry friends too! I really love the atmosphere you create with this one.

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  2. This so captures the clackety essence of hearing a train in the distance to me. I hear trains every day in the distance, but especially late at night when all is quiet. You know, when it kind of echoes as if it’s coming and going at the same time? Really like you atmospheric and thoughtful poem on this.

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  5. There’s rhythm, melody, music in trains… I never thought of it that way but it is true. Trains have a lonesome sound and their long whistle cry is like a wail.

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