Two deer stand in the field
Peacefully gazing at the morning sights
The sun shines brightly on the snow all around
Fields and trees abound
The train approaches
Its noise the deer hear
A sudden startle, a jerk of the head
And off they fled
Two deer run across a snowy field
I see them from the window
White snow all around them
Onward they go
The train rides by
They run quite fast
But the train goes faster
Their lead won’t last.
The farmhouse in the distance lies
Smoke spewing from the old chimney gray
Perhaps inside a baby cries
The deer run on toward the barn of hay
Beyond the open fields lie snow-laden trees
A winter wonderland with a grayish blue sky
Perhaps in summer the woods have bees
…The train rolls right on by
People on their way to who-knows-where
On narrow roads some drive
With little fan or flair
Moving specks on black snakes amidst fields of white
Others out on a morning jog
Some alone
Some with a dog
At each train station a few get off the train
Others get on, no two the same
All of them going somewhere
…Or perhaps nowhere
Families and friends wave goodbye
The train rides on by
Two ducks waddle on a frozen stream
Their backdrop so beautiful, it’s like a dream
And the deer in the field keep running
No matter how hard they try
It’s just not fast enough
The train passes them by
Just like many of us in life
Running as fast as we can
…Yet others pass us, go right on by
Why are we running? Does it really matter, our plan?
Two deer gracefully run in the field
Their dark gray bodies contrast with the white snow all around
Their running dance a beautiful sight
As they run with all their might
But the train still passes them by.
© Lukas Westevy
2004
Train ride in Munich to Koblenz, Germany