Life Train-ing
©2015 Susan Noyes Anderson
Photo by Roland Lösslein on Unsplash
A new train chugging round the bend,
I wish I knew where it would end.
So much momentum, smoke and steel,
unstoppable from stack to wheel.
High in the air, it hugs the rail,
accompanied by high-pitched wail
to destination still unknown.
The captive pilgrim rides alone.
When I was young, I could pretend
that every train would count as friend.
But now I parse each sway and clack.
I’ve been on trains that jump the track
or stay the course disaster chooses.
Minus faith, the rider loses.
All aboard! It’s time to ride.
The trains keep coming. Step inside.
∞§∞
The tone may seem a bit ominous, but this poem is mostly a reflection upon our inability to control circumstances in life. Of course, we still need to participate fully, learning and growing as we adjust to situations not of our choosing. Faith is key. As Rick Warren said, “Life…is a journey of discovery. There are moments on mountain tops and moments in deep valleys of despair. Transformation is a process.” (Still, those train rides can be pretty scary when you don’t know exactly where they’re going!)
