Mighty Big Boy
Comin’ down the tracks,
ground beneath me shakes.
Rollin’ right along,
steam left in its wake.
Take it ’round one more time,
one more time, one more time.
Take it ’round one more time,
one more time, one more time.
Wheels keep on turnin’,
giant pistons pound.
Six thousand horses
pawin’ at the ground.
Take it ’round one more time,
one more time, one more time.
Take it ’round one more time,
one more time, one more time.
Massive behemoth,
here for all to see,
rollin’ cross-country.
Piece of history.
Take it ’round one more time,
one more time, one more time.
Take it ’round one more time,
one more time, one more time.
Put out to pasture,
glory days long gone.
Still a stirring sight
worthy of a song.
Take it ’round one more time,
one more time, one more time.
Take it ’round one more time,
one more time, one more time.
This poem is my response to Poetics: Oral Poetry, the prompt from Ingrid at dVerse ~ Poets Pub, which asks us to begin without putting pen to paper – “say the words in your head, or repeat them out loud, trying “to complete the poem as far as possible without writing it down. Think about the devices discussed above: regular rhythms, repeated phrases or ‘motifs’, alliteration and rhyme schemes – anything to aid the memory and help the words to flow.”
I went out on Tuesday to see a steam locomotive, “Big Boy 4014.” Union Pacific purchased 25 “Big Boy “ locomotives in the 1940s. Eight still exist, and this engine is the only one that is operational and not in a museum. 4014 was retired in 1959 and was converted from coal to oil when its restoration was completed in 2019. The engine produces 6200 horsepower at 41 mph. With its tender, it is 132 feet in length and is the largest operating locomotive in the world. It came through my town, yesterday and today, and it will complete its tour by returning to its home in Cheyenne, Wyoming.
I started composing this as I edited the photos I took this morning, pausing to type each stanza as I progressed.
If you have the time, check out my poem A Giraffe Lullaby, posted 25 Sept 2019. I think it actually fits this prompt.
rivrvlogr 
Holy Shimoly, KG! This is one massive poem & the video’s totally mindblowing. I wanna be on board…one more time.
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Take me with you, Ron!
❤
David
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Thanks, Ron. Seeing it was a trip (I wouldn’t mind taking 😉 ).
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That’s a beauty of an engine and the well-preserved cars that follow. When I see someone cares enough to preserve something like this it does my heart good. So cool it is traveling around so people can enjoy seeing it in action. Fitting and admirable tribute poem and video to honor it. Nice job!
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Thanks, Lisa. It sure is a beaut!
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You’re welcome. I bet they must have a whole team keeping it shiny looking inside and out.
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This is a wonderful response, Ken. My son Benji will absolutely love your video: he is crazy about trains, and he used to know all the words to the Union Pacific song. I think your poem would also work well as a song – I love how the refrain mimics the sound of the engine chugging along!
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🙂 There were a lot of kids each time I saw it. I saw it in the evening, watched it depart the next morning, then drove 25 miles to see it at a half-hour stop on its route. The kids were loving it.
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Benji enjoyed the video and the poem, thanks!
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That was fun. I kept thinking about my Dad’s Lionel trains. I think he has replicas very similar to that engine and cars.
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Thanks. I think seeing it touched the child in a lot of people there.
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The “one more time is mesmerizing” and i really enjoyed hearing this poem
Bravo
Much❤love
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Thank you, Gillena. 🙂
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“six thousand horses pawin’ at the ground”
magnificent Ken, just stupefyingly splendid
none of my words can adequately support
such power, but yours do the job very well
thank you for sharing your vision. thank you for
sharing your experience.
Thank You.
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Thank you, Daniel. I knew you would appreciate the train. I thought about the many trips you made with your mother, and of meeting you on the platform in Kansas City.
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Wonderful, Ken. It’s so strange, but I read the poem first and heard it as a song. For some reason, I expected you to be playing a guitar and singing in the video. 🤣
In any case, great job with poem and video. It’s so cool that they’ve preserved the train.
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Thank you, Merril. 🙂 I could feel a rhythm as the engine’s wheels turned.
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You’re welcome. 😀
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Oooh fabulous poem! I love trains. We have several steam engines still running in Sussex.
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They are an impressive sight. Thank you. 🙂
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Oh, WOW, Ken – this is fantastic – I had to replay the video “one more time” several times!!
Love the video’s turn at end, watching train go on past.
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Thanks, Jazz. I almost expected to see Truman waving from the back. It is Missouri, after all. 😉
https://www.trumanlibrary.gov/photograph-records/2006-175
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A great poetic tribute to Big Boy 4014. Thank you for sharing the video and its history. Hearing you read made it quite meaningful.
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Thank you for coming along, Beverly.
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OH KEN!!!! I love, love this poem, your reading! I have had a life long love affair with trains. Listening to their whistles in early morn delights me more than I can explain. I am envious of your visit with Big Boy 4014!!! One more time … one more time. Yes, and worthy of a song.
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Thank you!
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The wonder in your voice and watching the video truly mesmerizes. Well done! 💕
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Thank you. It’s an awe-inspiring piece of machinery.
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This is great and to me, this could be a song…
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Yes, this is a poem to be read aloud, sung, and repeated.
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Thank you, Jane. 🙂
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This is absolutely stunning! Atmospheric, lovely in its rhythm, flow and cadence .. you took me there 🙂
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Thank you, Sanaa. It was an impressive sight.
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that was great ken, i could feel the train rumbling along in your poem, had a very cool johnny cash vibe doing, you read very well
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🙂 Thank you. 🙂
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I love the video! This is wonderful!
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🙂 Thank you.
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man, I love the image of the little boy in the lower left at the beginning… and then the man in the orange shirt following the caboose at the end.
poetry at the edges, and straight down the middle, too ~
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Thank you.
There were some real fans there to see the train.
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