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”

  2. Interesting. Iโ€™ve never thought of trains as flirtatious before. Are you sure the disembarking lovers arenโ€™t spurning her? This is something I really needed to bother my head about today, lol.

      1. I was only troubling myself. Iโ€™m more of a peasant (where is the peasant emoji?!) as I feel your poetry is above me your highness๐Ÿคด๐Ÿป

  3. Hmmm..yes we women ARE steamy now aren’t we… ๐Ÿคญ๐Ÿคญ๐Ÿคญ Nice verse, Ben. ๐Ÿ’โ˜บ๏ธ

      1. Hehe. Btw I think your comment did not show up on my post..it appeared blank… Not sure y. Jus thought to let you know. ๐Ÿ’

        2. Thanks Ben, saw it on my laptop now. For some reason it does not show on the mobile… Yes… Fear is the actual start of anger… ๐Ÿ’

  4. What a magnificent steely and yet a simple everyday metaphor for a lady, the locomotive machine in constant motion.. Staying on the train, facing reality and being real.
    Keeping it simple, I’m in awe of the thoughts flowing from the ink through your pen.
    The locomotive is a lady machine. Amazing how you gathered your thoughts about her.

  5. I responded, but I see it never went through. I just lost my train of thoughts and I can’t seem to gather them again.

  6. But I love how you gathered your thoughts and how it flowed from the ink in your pen. The locomotive is a steely metaphor for a lady. Amazing attributes you give the Lady locomotive machine, staying on board that’s reality, it is real.

  8. I love your play with words and the metaphors… So well and cleverly written ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿ‘Œ

  11. No my original post never went through.
    Such a pity , I won’t be able to retrieve it.
    Ah, I see what you done. Great poets to feed from, you surely can’t go wrong.

    I’m just saying in the context of life, you can’t just jump train, maybe move to another carriage of the locomotive but jumping train is out of the question.

  12. No my original comment never went through, and I can’t retrieve it not in the same essence I first distilled. But that’s me and words.
    Jumping train I use as a metaphor for getting off at the next station. It feels like the end of a journey and who knows if one can embark on a brand new journey just like that. Change the carriage maybe, but not disembark, it feels like the last breath of life.

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

  16. 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).

    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!

  18. 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 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…

  22. 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

  23. 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

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