Jarred from its slumber,
A freight train groans to life, seeking
Rhythm at its tempered core, an
Echo worth ensnaring 'til it
Dissipates from memory like

A fickle verse, that flirts with the tongue, yet
Never once takes the plunge
To the waiting Earth below, made
Humble by its fear of heights, an
Opaque shame, stripped bare by stag-
Nant waters: a far cry from its
Yesteryear, a pale imitation of the

Ravenous, cast-iron serpent
It always could have been...
Chuffing sadly toward oblivion then
Hurtling downward, with no regrets.