It Takes a Lot To Stop a Moving Train

A poem about life

Photo by Brian Suman on Unsplash

In the heart of this mighty iron beast
Where pistons pulse and gears entwine
A symphony of motion unfolds no lease
As wheels kiss rails in rhythmic rhyme

It takes a lot to halt this raging force
To tame the thunder to slow the pace
For once set free upon the tracks
A moving train leaves but a trace.

The whistle wails a mournful cry
As landscapes blur in fleeting grace
Through valleys deep and mountains high
The train moves on leaving trails of space

The brakes engage their desperate grip
Against inertia’s unyielding hold
Steel against steel the battle is fought
As momentum fights to break its mold

The conductor’s hands weathered and firm
Pull levers twist knobs and often pray.
He knows the weight of every soul aboard
Their stories are etched in steel and clay

Still the world outside blurs on by
As if time itself clings to the rails
The station looms a distant sign stands high
And destiny awaits the passenger’s tales.

Note: The relentless power of a train hurtling forward
becomes a metaphor for life’s unstoppable momentum.
Sometimes, it takes an extraordinary effort to
change course or find a new destination.

— WOLRAD

(A poem from the Wolrad collection #296)