Railway poetry

[Autocar Publicity]

Hmmm, honest or tactful...? [Richard, we need a smilie of someone scratching their head...]

FF, press return after each 'line', that should produce a poem/limerick format.

[Ferrybridge Flyer]

choo choo
if only he knew
up the hill
down the hill
oh,such a thrill!

choo choo
if only he knew
up over the crest
the life he loved best!

choo choo
if only he knew
those he was trusting
would soon leave him rusting!

Is that any better?

[chaz harrison]

There was a young lady from Sark,
who went on a train for a lark.
The boy who was with her
was all of a dither,
when she said "Just you wait 'til it's dark".

Sorry.

Chaz

[chaz harrison]

I've just noticed......it's lucky the young lady wasn't from Crewe......

Chaz

[Ferrybridge Flyer]

Or Devises!!

[52D]

My idea of trying to spread a little culture among you heathens seems to have backfired a little, after an initial decent result it seems we dont have a Keats or a Browning among us.

[Bullhead]

OK, here's something I wrote, inspired by the photograph at the bottom and by Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Church-Yard" of 1750:

BULLHEAD’S ELEGY WRITTEN AT GROSMONT STATION
The block bell tolls the knell of parting train,
The tourist herd winds slowly to the bus,
The porter homeward plods his weary way,
And leaves the world to darkness and to us.

Now fades the glimmering landscape to the night,
The sky darkens save for the ev’ning star,
Matched by the signal’s fast unseeing sight,
And drowsy tinklings lull the Railway Bar:

Save that from yonder Tunnel Inn
The weary driver does to the world complain
Of those who, wandering near his sooty den,
Molest his ancient solitary reign.

Beyond the tunnel’s maw, the cutting’s shade,
In sidings dark lies many a rusting heap,
Each ‘gainst its buffer stop for storage laid,
The cold steam engines of the railway sleep.

The breezy call of early-morning shift,
The radio twittering from the smoky shed,
The foreman’s call, or whistle’s rift,
No more shall rouse them from their weed-grown bed.

For them no more the blazing hearth shall burn,
Or busy fireman ply his evening care:
No children run to see Antwerp's return,
Or climb the fence at Lion to stare.

[Flamingo]

Inspired by Bullhead's splendid verse, and by those long-gone nights when I really could and did listen for Pacifics and V2s from my north London home, here is my own small offering.

NIGHT DEPARTURE

Come listen my children and ye shall hear
When the Midnight Sleeper ran from here.
Scarcely a man is now alive
Who remembers those days back in 'fifty five.
Number Sixteen on the front from the Cross
With five hundred tons behind of course.

Back in their cabins tucked up tight
The passengers are settling down for the night.
A wave of the flag and it's green for go
And the A4 slips, too eager to show
Its paces - ah! but she's soon away,
Getting hold of the load past Holloway.

Through the northern suburbs the gradient looms
Past many a house and many a room,
Where a schoolboy listens away in the dark
As Number Sixteen storms through Oakleigh Park.
And yes once again the sound draws near
As the magic chime rings loud and clear.


PS if you're wondering where you might have vaguely recalled something like the first few lines, look up 'The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere'.

[chaz harrison]

Just to lower the tone again....

There was a young lady from Bude,
who rode on a train in the nude,
the guard thought himself lucky
when she called him ducky,
but sadly she turned out a prude.

Chaz

[Ferrybridge Flyer]

They're getting better.Especially the sensible ones!!
There were a lad called Smee
Who just loved an HST
I said "you're blind thee
Check out an A3"
Well?

[Flamingo]

Just to lower the tone again....

There was a young lady from Bude,
who rode on a train in the nude,
the guard thought himself lucky
when she called him ducky,
but sadly she turned out a prude.

Chaz

Ahem, and tut tut! Mr Harrison, I fear you'll be giving us the Young Lady from Dover next.
I shall re-set the tone and turn again to Keats, one of my favourite poets. Not having the time to pen something based upon his St. Agnes' Eve ( it's far too long for a start ) I shall turn to one of Keats' shorter works, which I leave to be identified by others.

ON FIRST LOOKING INTO LOCO DEPOTS

Oft have I bunked it round the sheds of yore,
And many goodly Streaks and shunters seen;
Round many Eastern depots have I been,
Which never once I had permission for.
Once in the wide expanse of March
The foreman caught me: then, to my dismay,
Escorted me thence, and bade me go away.
Thus were my eyes denied the much-prized sight
Of my last two Sandies, hidden there.
The others of their kind? Yes, every one,
Even the two streamlined ones, rarest of all.
But missed at March that last elusive pair:
Brancepeth Castle, Gayton Hall:
And rued that day, silent, upon the bridge at Hornsey.

[Bullhead]

I had to Google that but learn that it's inspired by "On First Looking into Chapman's Homer" - which includes the line, "...when with eagle eyes/He star'd at the Pacific..." - which seems very apt in this context.

[52D]

Was that eagle Sea or Golden and i note a company name in the original title, First, i bet they wish they had a pacific.

[mr B]

Do you mean this one Flamingo...

There was a young lady from Dover,
She went in to buy a Railrover, But when she got there, She did not have the fare, So the Booking clerk give her a once over !!!

Or maybe...

The North Eastern driver he wanted a slash, The spray from the old man went five carrage's back, The window was open for the young ladies to see, The next thing you knew they were all covered in pee, I know what it is,said one of the three, Its that dirty twat thats driving the A3 !!!


Till next time Mr B

[Autocar Publicity]

You'll be getting 52D upset again... He did say poetry, not limericks!

I do like Bullhead's take on Grey's Elegy, with the picture, that could be worth publishing. Have you offered it to Moorsline? (I have contact details if you want them).

I like Chaz's verse about the lady from Bude as well, but somehow I would be less confident of publication of that one....