Poetry Explorer


Classic and Contemporary Poetry


THE TRAIN-MISSER; AT UNION STATION by JAMES WHITCOMB RILEY

Poet Analysis

First Line: LL WHERE IN THE WORLD MY EYES HAS BIN
Last Line: LIKE A BLAMED OLD SANDWITCH WARPED IN TWO!
Subject(s): RAILROADS; TRAVEL; RAILWAYS; TRAINS; JOURNEYS; TRIPS;

'LL where in the world my eyes has bin --
Ef I hain't missed that train ag'in!
Chuff! and whistle! and toot! and ring!
But blast and blister the dasted train! --
How it does it I can't explain!
Git here thirty-five minutes before
The durn thing's due! -- and, drat the thing!
It'll manage to git past -- shore!

The more I travel around, the more
I got no sense! -- To stand right here
And let it beat me! 'Ll ding my melts!
I got no gumption, ner nothin' else!
Ticket Agent's a dad-burned bore!
Sell you a ticket's all they keer! --
Ticket Agents ort to all be
Prosecuted -- and that's jes' what! --

How'd I know which train's fer me?
And how'd I know which train was not?
Goern and comin' and gone astray,
And backin' and switchin' ever'-which-way!
Ef I could jes' sneak round behind
Myse'f, where I could git full swing,
I'd lift my coat, and kick, by jing!
Till I jes' got jerked up and fined! --
Fer here I stood, as a durn fool's apt
To, and let that train jes' chuff and choo
Right apast me -- and mouth jes' gapped
Like a blamed old sandwitch warped in two!



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