A Suddeness of Trees

I've mentioned before Pearl's love of trains.  We saw a train on the way to her school and another on the way home.  She was excited.  We both love Liz Rosenberg's picture book, Adelaide and the Night Train.  Here's a train poem I will post for my girl.

Night Journey

Now as the train bears west,
Its rhythm rocks the earth,
And from my Pullman berth
I stare into the night
While others take their rest.
Bridges of iron lace,
A suddenness of trees,
A lap of mountain mist
All cross my line of sight,
Then a bleak wasted place,
And a lake below my knees.
Full on my neck I feel
The straining at a curve;
My muscles move with steel,
I wake in every nerve.
I watch a beacon swing
From dark to blazing bright;
We thunder through ravines
And gullies washed with light.
Beyond the mountain pass
Mist deepens on the pane;
We rush into a rain
That rattles double glass.
Wheels shake the roadbed stone,
The pistons jerk and shove,
I stay up half the night
To see the land I love.

by Theodore Roethke

Comments

[Jenny]

Have you read Morningtown Ride by Malvina Reynolds? That's one of our favorites.

Train whistle blowing, makes a sleepy noise,
Underneath their blankets go all the girls and boys,
Heading from the station, out along the bay,
All bound for Morningtown, many miles away.
Sarah's at the engine, Tony rings the bell,
John swings the lantern to show that all is well,
Rocking, rolling, riding out along the bay,
All bound for Morningtown, many miles away.
Maybe it is raining where our train will ride,
But all the little travelers are snug and warm inside.
Somewhere there is sunshine, somewhere there is day,
Somewhere there is Morningtown, many miles away.

It's actually a song - with a lovely melody.