Unstoppable Force

by Nick Hansen '20

The whistling train

comes around every night,

a reminder of all things

haunting my mind.

It’s rumble,

increasing

with violent approach,

not stopping

for anything

in its god-forsaken path.

The whine of the horn

reminds me of anguish

caused by the past mistakes

of a suffering boy.

I lay awake as the train comes nearer,

my heart

pounding

like a tattered snare drum.

The horn boasts again,

this time with utter force.

It has come to judge

the fears of the broken-hearted.

The climax comes, but the train keeps moving,

not stopping to let me catch my breath.

It has struck dead-center

sending a pulse through my chest,

the damage

already done.

Contemplating what happened

will do no good;

It’s impossible to understand the unexpected.

The train will be back

again the next night,

but I won’t be ready

for the next fight.

I will never be ready.