Lady, or: Machine

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

73 thoughts on “Lady, or: Machine”

1. Guten Tag

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

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

   Herzliche Grüße
   Hans Gamma

   ***

   גוטע טאג

   דער מענטש ווייסט נישט
   די פרוי האלט אן אויג אויף אים
   די נשמה פון דער פרוי געמאכט אים אויס
   ער וועט אָדער באַקלאָגנ זיך וועגן דעם אַלע זיין לעבן
   אַז ער האָט זיך נישט אונטערגעגעבן איר צוואה

   אין רינאַונסינג צו קוש איר
   ביז דעם סוף פון זיין צייט
   איר ראָזעווע מויל
   זייער ליבע שושקען
   אין זייער כאַגז
   דורך פלייש און בלוט
   אין אַ חלום
   פאַרלירן זיך אין עס בעשאַס דעם טאָג

   א ווארימע גרוס
   האַנס גאַמאַ

   1. תודה רבה
      🙂

      1. Ich habe Ihnen zu danken.

         1. Why? 🙂

            1. Guten Tag

               Ihre Poesie war mir die Anregung.

               freundliche Grüße
               Hans Gamma

               1. Du bist sehr nett! (übersetzt von Google Translate)

                  -David

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. 🙂 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! ❤

   1. Thank you so much, Cheryl. Based upon your bio it seems you have led a life full of stories. It is very nice to meet you!

      -David

3. Wonderful poem! You had my attention from the first to the very last word…

   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 💡 would take me – Essentially, I just followed the inspiration…

4. Wow, this is beautifully crafted ❤️

   1. Thank you kindly!

      1. You’re welcome brother 😊

5. Very engaging!

   1. thank you so so much! 🙏🏼

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. Thanks, Michele! The train imagery came to me entirely because of the two blogger-poets that I linked to on the bottom right 🙂

      1. I love how creativity expands and how artists are inspired by other artists. ✨

         1. ❤

7. I love the use of metaphors in this beautiful tale! Reading this was a complete delight.

   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!

      1. I did! You’re very humble, Ben. I think that enhances all your works as a writer.

         1. Thank you so much, Rishika 😳

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. Wow. I didn’t realize that song is about a train!

      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. ah-hah!

            thanks!