Behind her wire framed glasses,
Her big blue eyes are closed.
Two white earphones play
A lullaby, inaudible to me,
To send her to sleep.

As I sit and think of how
Elusive I find sleep on trains,
I wonder what sounds have
Overcome the rumbling and jerking
To quiet her spirit, holding its
Hand as it steps back
From the waking world.

*
Town after unfamiliar town
Passes, ignored by most,
Their eyes closed or focussed
On books or academic
Preparation for another
Uneven week.

In between the human hives,
The lights are few, leaving the
Stark black of a January evening
As the only thing we miss
By looking inward.

*
The sound and movement of
The train is comforting to me,
As always, but somehow fails
To coax me towards sleep.

Perhaps I am afraid I will
Miss something interesting,
Or perhaps the child that is
Still a part of me feels that
This is a chapter of a great
Adventure; a quest across
Uncharted territory to win
The heart of a fair maiden.

My heart sinks as I remember
That it is away from her that
I go, leaving her in her prison
Tower. The day I bring her
Back to my castle is
Yet to come.

01/18/2009

Posted on 01/26/2009
Copyright © 2024 Richard Vince