From Last Train Home

The following poems, including one rengay written with Jacquie Pearce, appeared in Jacquie’s train haiku anthology, Last Train Home (Vancouver, British Columbia: Pondhawk Press, 2021; available on Amazon). All poems were previously published, as indicated at the end, together with notes saying when and where each poem was written (several of them in Japan, where I’ve had more frequent and more recent experience with trains). See a review of this book by Joanne Morcom.

commuter train—

          that girl again

reading another romance



                 futons over the railing—

                 the clacking of the train

                 splitting winter air



Another Country +


autumn night

the train whistle

enters my dream Jacquie


        first frost

        sparkling the tracks Michael


ticket for one

a few yellow leaves

left on the platform Jacquie


bare branches—

a child’s wave

from the dining car Michael


        a gust of wind

        through the railroad crossing Jacquie


graffiti on a freight train

from another country . . .

harvest moon Michael



        ~     ~     ~



distant train . . .

in the morning mist

the loon stops paddling



                Mt. Fuji’s shadow—

                a dusting of snow

                on the bullet-train tracks



warm December sun—

the commuter train’s empty hand rings

sway around the corner



                distant train sound—

                ink from the lost cat poster

                runs in the rain



waiting waiting the train with no caboose



Publication Credits and Notes


And here’s one more of my train poems, first published in Geppo XLI:2, February–April 2016, page 1 (I have more):


train depot—

a wet leaf clings

to the stroller wheel