Train song

Photo by w. Jackish

Sing train to me
whistle high-low slidenotes
echoing through canyons
calliope your coming

- Violet Nesdoly

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There are few sounds that make me feel as nostalgic as the whistle of a train. That’s probably because trains were a part of my childhood. Our farm bordered on a branch line of the old CNR (Canadian National Railway) and a train came past about once a week. Sometimes when we heard that distant whistle, we’d stop what we were doing and rush out to the field beside the track in order to be there when the train came by so we could wave at the conductor. What a thrill when he waved back!

I still love the sound of trains at night. And have you ever heard a train whistle echo through mountains? The sound bends in a magical way! I hope our civilization never gets so advanced that we no longer need trains.

The poem above was inspired by the “Prairie Train” prompt one of Laura Purdie Salas’s 15 words or less prompts. I am submitting it to Poetry Friday, hosted this week by Katya at Write. Sketch. Repeat.

Retired

This week’s 15 words or less poem prompt is this lighthouse photo. It appears on “15 Words or Less Thursday: Lighthouse” at Laura Purdie Salas. Read the comments to see a slew of creative responses.

exposé

Portuguese man-of-war (Photo by Laura Purdie Salas)

EXPOSÉ

Pink seam
held teal together
so beautifully
till black
oozed out.

Now everyone knows.

© 2012 by Violet Nesdoly

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This poem is in response to the photo of the Portuguese man-of-war that poet Laura Purdie Salas posted on her blog as a Thursday prompt. The challenge is to come up with a poem of 15 words or less (not counting the title).

Check out other poems here (in the comments) and poem along if you like!