Lady, or: Machine

Posted on by ben Alexander 
Flying across men's endless rails, whistling adrenaline 
Churning axles hissing past so many a longing gentleman 
Chasing what she's never had; rims gripping faithful track 
Each disembarking lover spurned; ne'er thought of turning back 
She, ever forward, leaves 'em gasping in billows of sultry steam 
Thick diesel firing through the veins of lady turned machine

H/T @Suzette B

H/T @Poet of the Light; @Poet of the Light

73 thoughts on “Lady, or: Machine”

  1. Guten Tag

    Der Mann weiss es sich nicht
    die Frau hรคlt ihn im Auge
    hat die Seele der Frau ihn ausgemacht
    wird er entweder sein ganzes Leben darรผber klagen
    dass er sich ihrem Willen nicht unterwarf

    im Verzicht sie zu kรผssen
    bis an das Ende seiner Zeit
    ihrem rsoigen Mund
    ihrem Liebesgeflรผster
    in ihren Umarmungen
    durch Fleisch und Blut
    im Traum
    am Tag sich darin verlieren

    Herzliche GrรผรŸe
    Hans Gamma

    ***

    ื’ื•ื˜ืข ื˜ืื’

    ื“ืขืจ ืžืขื ื˜ืฉ ื•ื•ื™ื™ืกื˜ ื ื™ืฉื˜
    ื“ื™ ืคืจื•ื™ ื”ืืœื˜ ืืŸ ืื•ื™ื’ ืื•ื™ืฃ ืื™ื
    ื“ื™ ื ืฉืžื” ืคื•ืŸ ื“ืขืจ ืคืจื•ื™ ื’ืขืžืื›ื˜ ืื™ื ืื•ื™ืก
    ืขืจ ื•ื•ืขื˜ ืึธื“ืขืจ ื‘ืึทืงืœืึธื’ื  ื–ื™ืš ื•ื•ืขื’ืŸ ื“ืขื ืึทืœืข ื–ื™ื™ืŸ ืœืขื‘ืŸ
    ืึทื– ืขืจ ื”ืึธื˜ ื–ื™ืš ื ื™ืฉื˜ ืื•ื ื˜ืขืจื’ืขื’ืขื‘ืŸ ืื™ืจ ืฆื•ื•ืื”

    ืื™ืŸ ืจื™ื ืึทื•ื ืกื™ื ื’ ืฆื• ืงื•ืฉ ืื™ืจ
    ื‘ื™ื– ื“ืขื ืกื•ืฃ ืคื•ืŸ ื–ื™ื™ืŸ ืฆื™ื™ื˜
    ืื™ืจ ืจืึธื–ืขื•ื•ืข ืžื•ื™ืœ
    ื–ื™ื™ืขืจ ืœื™ื‘ืข ืฉื•ืฉืงืขืŸ
    ืื™ืŸ ื–ื™ื™ืขืจ ื›ืึทื’ื–
    ื“ื•ืจืš ืคืœื™ื™ืฉ ืื•ืŸ ื‘ืœื•ื˜
    ืื™ืŸ ืึท ื—ืœื•ื
    ืคืึทืจืœื™ืจืŸ ื–ื™ืš ืื™ืŸ ืขืก ื‘ืขืฉืึทืก ื“ืขื ื˜ืึธื’

    ื ื•ื•ืืจื™ืžืข ื’ืจื•ืก
    ื”ืึทื ืก ื’ืึทืžืึท

  2. Trains will always retain their mystique for me. We lived in a small western Pennsylvania town with a sawmill and a railway station in the fifties when I was 5-8 years old. I remember what a marvel the new diesel engines were then. My 4-year-old brother hopped a freight train. Luckily, he was discovered before the train left the station.

    As an adult, I have taken metro trains and auto trains many times. In Titusville, Pennsylvania, we took the “Dinky” narrow gauge steam train through the oil fields, and in Lancaster, through Amish farmland. ๐Ÿ™‚ I guess it’s about time we catch up with the rest of the world and get some high-speed railways!

    Your poem has interesting personification, a metaphor of the train as a woman, and male passengers who are rejected suitors of the train. In all fairness to the lady, I believe they desert her first! The striking photo suits the poem well. Have a great day, Ben! โค

    1. Thank you so much, Karima – I really appreciate it. This poem was a perfect example of me having no idea where the flow of words and thoughts ๐Ÿ’ก would take me – Essentially, I just followed the inspiration…

  6. Captivating work, Ben. Locomotives do capture our imagination and the personification you create in your poem is creative and sensory. Your poem also reminded of seeing a historic steam locomotive roll through Arizona last fall. Quite impressive! So is your poem.

    1. Thank you – the inspiration for the imagery was entirely from the two poets that I linked to on the bottom right – check out their poems – they’re both amazing!

  8. I grew up close to a railway line in the 1950s and it was all steam trains then. They were always referred to in the feminine ‘she’ just like that old song ‘She’ll be comin’ round the mountain when she comes’.

      1. I always believed it was a train song and when I checked it on the internet it turns out that originally the tune was a spiritual hymn sung by those building the railroads (in America).

  10. Wonderful imagery! Well articulated! You say you are inspired by others, but in the process, I think, you also inspire others. Great!

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