The cat sat on the track

The cat sat on the track,
but not for long.
The cat leapt off the track
when the track went ‘bong’.
The track wriggled and writhed
as the train arrived.

The cat sat near the track
as the train went by,
and wondered why the track
was content to lie
there, singing a low note song,
as engines and carriages roared along.

The cat sat on the track
with the train long past
and thought ‘perhaps the track
knows that train’s the last,
maybe the last for an hour or so.
I wish I was clever enough to know.
I wish it hadn’t started to snow,
so while it’s quiet, I think I’ll go.’

The cat jumped off the track
and hurried home.
Found it was dinner time there,
not the time to roam.

David Parkin
2^nd May 2021