Friday's Whims of the Time Traveler 43.0: April 16th, 2007

Four Motives, Four Locomotives
by Belinda Roddie

I rode upon the train marked Stallion

Bearing my old war medallion

Capped with rotting gold

And Stallion kicked and strutted high

From tumbling through the cold

To crush the frost with spinning hooves

That toppled on battalions

So was it I rode Stallion

I hopped the next train red-stamped Lion

Bearing crest of family, trying

Not to show my pride

But Lion roared with pride of own

And trampled countryside

While mud and grass were scattered far

By paws that spurred the dying

So did I conquer Lion

The third I leapt upon was Dragon

Drinking heavily from flagon

I recalled my sin

While Dragon snorted blackened flame

And burnt blue horizon

Were made with wings, the tracks forgot,

It’d sail without wheels lagging

So dreamed I riding Dragon

My nightmare nearly through, on Thunder

Was my heart then torn asunder

By my wish for home

But Thunder yearned to make me wail

As lightning lashed my bones

And locomotive raged through storm

That thrust me down and under

So was the ride of Thunder

And all four trains bore all my pains

Of war and pride and hunger

So did I pass the darkened plains

That ever made me wonder

If I would ever leave this train

Called Stallion, Lion, Dragon, slain

By simple, raging Thunder

The work you see here has not been edited nor altered since April 16th, 2007.