Steaming North

 

A steam train took me north

Away from home

Seventeen years I was

Scarcely grown

Chris joined us at Carlisle

And joked as was his style

About haystacks

As native settlements

 

Late afternoon

We pulled into Stirling station

A semi circular kiosk laid out there

I thought it homely cosy

Welcoming

And what that place would mean I unaware

 

Then slowly we pulled out

Proceeding north

But did not pick up speed

Idled about

Through Bridge of Allan

I looked out a window

What a lovely name

And lovely place

 

Only past Dunblane did speed return

And we sped on to Perth

My new terrain

 

But coming home this evening

From child-minding for my son

I told him of that journey long ago

Of how that train had loitered

Unwilling to move on

Take a good look it seemed to say

You’ll live here later on

 

Brian Fahy

26 January 2023