Trains

by David Shumate

I am seduced by trains. When one moans in the night like some
dragon gone lame, I rise and put on my grandfather's suit. I pack a
small bag, step out onto the porch, and wait in the darkness. I rest
my broad-brimmed hat on my knee. To a passerby I'm a curious
sight—a solitary man sitting in the night. There's something

unsettling about a traveler who doesn't know where he's headed.
You can't predict his next move. In a week you may receive a
postcard from Haiti. Madagascar. You might turn on your
answering machine and hear his voice amid the tumult of a
Bangkok avenue. All afternoon you feel the weight of the things
you've never done. Don't think about it too much. Everything
starts to sound like a train.

Comments

  1. My area is close to re establishing train service, freight at first and passenger service in a few years. I can't wait. (but I'll have to!)

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  2. your blog is very moving.

    Thank you.

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  3. Oh i don't know - there's something exciting about not knowing where you're going: just following your nose and seeing where it gets you.

    Then there's Zen Navigation - follow someone who looks like they know where they're going: you won't end up where you intended to, but the results are generally interesting xxx

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  4. "All afternoon you feel the weight of the things
    you've never done. Don't think about it too much. Everything
    starts to sound like a train."

    ...my favorite part. Another moving post.

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  5. I haven't been able to express that feeling adequately...ever. And this does just that.

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  6. Very touching. I love the melancholy wail of distant trains rattling through stations. They pass and momentarily bring movement to luggage and hearts. And then they're gone. Thank you for your writing. Ciao

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  7. Over the years, there have been many times I've wanted to gas up the car and keep going. It's not a desire to leave what I have, but more a hankering to find what I haven't yet experienced.

    ReplyDelete

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Hey, thanks for your thoughts and your time:>)

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