Next departure

· by · in dVerse, free verse, NaPoWriMo16, poetry. ·

Next departure was for Innsbruck, and
leaving Vienna I thought: why not Tyrol
and as usual I found compartments filled
with fellow travelers; our intentions set
to maximize the miles and countries we
could cover in a month. As always with
a guidebook handy, there was a college
girl who lead us to the sights of gardened
castles, burgs of stone, and afterwards
we dined at inexpensive restaurants.
The morning after it was Switzerland, and
somewhere I was sidetracked into treks
of Alpine paths, I slept on beaches, hitch-
hiked through the night and finally I
caught the train from Paris back to
Gothenburg and waiting books of physics;
still I ponder if I ever more would seek
a railway station finding that when leaving
Vienna, the next departure is for Innsbruck.

Speeding Train by Ivo Pannaggi

Speeding Train by Ivo Pannaggi

Today I host dVerse poetics, and the prompt is about trains. I still remember in a blur how I went Interailing in my youth. A one month ticket and my passport without any clear plans. Sometimes I dream of doing it again.
—
April 5, 2015

42 responses to “Next departure”

  4. I too remember Interail and your poem brought the memories flooding back.I adore train journeys and here in Norfolk we have a number of small steam railways for enthusiasts and holiday-makers,We went on the Halloween ride last year, which was enormous fun, with ghost stories and unexpected ghouls.
    Bjorn, as I don’t get the poets Pub until mid-evening, and now know what the prompt is, may I re-post something from last October? I’m suffering with chest problems at the moment and need to get on with revising my novel. I might have to reduce the time I spend (and enjoy enormously) on poetry and WordPress until it’s finished. But I’ll see how my health pans out first 😉

  5. Sounds like a wonderful adventure! Passenger trains are not nearly so common where I live…and it’s typically cheaper to fly than ride the train, so my train riding experience is very limited (when I was in Grade 5, our class took the train from Saskatoon to our provincial capital or Regina (about 300 km each way). Alas, that route is no longer in existence.

  6. I wish I’d had the drive to travel in my youth – I think it’s a bit late now. Though watching Billy Connolly’s Trip across America on TV, perhaps I should just go. 🙂 Missed you on FF this week.

  7. I’ve never been to Europe and there aren’t many trains in America, so this poem took me to a special place of envy and wonder. I really enjoyed it.

  9. I never rode the trains or anything in Europe yet, but I have been on many trains in the states. It was the first very freeing thing I did at 18 on my own after leaving home. Love it still.

    Great prompt, love it with the Hardy poem and Casablanca. Sigh…all these things I love, and trains too.

    • I said I love trains, but left off the part about loving your storytelling about your own train trips. I always get nostalgic about trains and I love to hear others’ stories

  11. Welcome back, Bjorn. The freedom of travel you describe here makes me very envious. I think we all have the wanderlust in our genes.

  14. I rode along with you, Bjorn, it was a fun ride. Those were the days. I was too busy working and so missed trains in Europe, but I knew it could be done. Mrs. Jim was with a group and traveled a lot before I ever knew here In retirement we’ve pretty well done that, mostly driving, have missed a couple of the “small countries”. One of these days I’m going to check them off a list, been to all the popular ones. 50 states and Puerto Rico, Mexico and Central America also.
    Thank goodness for the “college girl who lead us to …,” she seems to be world round, One even has visited a couple us a couple of times. She liked our single son.
    ..

  15. This is such a wonderful poem, Bjorn! It brings back a flood of memory, of places I’ve been. I did much the same thing – hop on a train in Europe and see where I end up. Especially loved that line about the college students who found hidden gardens. A great image!

  16. Pingback: A Woman’s Journey | Video Poems And More·

  18. I would love to do this, travelling from one country to another, seeing as much as I can, and just getting sidetracked elsewhere ~ Life would be marvelous, I say ~

    Enjoyed this one Bjorn ~

  21. I long for a train trip, which is likely out of my financial realm……….so I enjoyed yours all the more…..I especially admire your closing lines. Wonderful full-circle moment.

  22. These are places I have never been, and yet I feel your nostalgia as if it was my own.

  24. Sounds like a wonderful, crazy, adventure. Riding the train sounds like so much fun. Of course all I know of it is from Poirot’s “Murder on the the Orient Express”

  26. You’re such a good storyteller, Bjorn. I especially like this section:
    “a guidebook handy (a guide, book-handy; a guidebook candy), there was a college girl who lead us to the sights of garden…”

  27. I can feel your longing to revisit those carefree days, Bjorn. I don’t blame you; it sounds heavenly. Why do we ever become adults and settle down??

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