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.