Near Trackside

Once again
the wind is warm
& it has been
quite some time since
we last visited
this place:

from here
one can see the plumes
of billowing smoke
& steam dispersing
from the Union Pacific
diesel locomotive
just down the track

from where we're presently
standing. It is from here
that one can hear the harsh,
shrill whistling of the CSX
train signaling its entrance
into our neck of the woods.

It is from here where we
can get a bird's-eye view
of this railway line, always
at work, always on the go.
The silences which follow
each & every train's passing

are few & far between.
From here, one sees
daylight as much as
the darkness: at night,
the headlights of
an oncoming train

are enough to make
one think twice about
staying out here,
passing time on the rails.
Get out of the way
or else, the front locomotive

beckons.
The wind is warm,
the sky is clear:
life is still good
out near the mainline,
where all the action is.