Today we are featuring Inklings Book Contest 2016 finalist, Lauren Meier! Lauren finished 5th grade this year and submitted a poem called “The Train to Nowhere.” We loved how she used line breaks and formatting to emphasize the rhythm and pacing of her poem. Enjoy!
The Train to Nowhere
by Lauren Meier
Time, slow down.
I beg of you.
Slow your train. For me.
We all ride the train of time;
the train,
………….slows,
…………………..down,
nearly,
…………………………….stops,
the, second,
we, want, it,
to,
hurry up.
The train’s wheels run-like-an-Olympian-the-second-we-wish-the train- would-slow-down;the-second-we-long-for-the-wheels-to-trot.
All we want is to be the Conductor;
quicken the turtle-like pace when we want to,
slow the train’s cheetah-like speed when we want to.
We are all passengers.
When we board,we are infants,
infants at life,
infants at everything.
When we get off,
we are aged;
we are old;
for time has not been kind to us.
When we disembark,
we are ready to be dust again.
Why do we ride the train?
Because,dear,the train is our life.
We are forever riding the train
To nowhere.
