A Train Ride Through Cobleskill
The roar of enemy engine approaching,
Thrusting one way as we venture towards the other.
Both unalarmed at the river beside or the eagle that hides,
Tucked away in some tree.
Colors fly by, overthrowing the Hudson with its
Scabs of ice, victory wounds to prove it survived another winter.
Split second scenes between the shadows and the serene
While we sit, held captive by mere screens.
A silo stands up and is slain in an instant.
Forests disappear without a second thought.
Doorways between the belly of their dragon,
Opening up into momentary masterpieces.
Let not the warden catch you veiless,
Lest you billow your curse upon the rest of the lot.
Another warcry penetrates from the many stomached metal snake,
Vision still obscured as nature glitches on.
Then in one breath he’s all gone, his echo darting away quickly.
Emerging is a new form, overlapping forest, farm, flock and resurrected silo.
Do you see him staring from the other side?
His face plastered over glass then grassy pastures. Eyes
Obscured only by the blue sky itself.
The hands of him writing, scratching, scribbling
As the wagon ravages onward.
He’ll tell us his story if we’d only shut up and listen,
So sit back, relax and reread what was written.
About the Poem
I wrote this poem during my junior year at Roberts Wesleyan University as part of my creative writing portfolio. By God’s grace, it became one of the pieces that contributed to receiving the university’s annual Pegasus Poetry Award, presented by the literature department.
But before all of that, I was just a college kid riding to a friend’s place for one of the most vivid spring breaks of my life. I had just been broken up with a few weeks prior and I was stressed from a fresh semester. That week ended up being one of the most deeply healing weeks of my life thanks to my good friend Benjamin Richards. And it all began with jotting down my emotions and observations on the train ride there.
I encourage you to create something today. God gave us creativity to help us process.
I have more poetry as part of my series For the Love of Roberts.
