The Midnight Train

The night is dark, the air is still,
The tracks are lonely and long.
Expectantly they await the train
That sings its nightly song.

Tons and tons of massive steel
Along those tracks must glide,
Carrying freight from place to place
With a diligent crew inside.

Someone has to drive that train;
That 'someone' blows the horn,
At every crossing, all the way,
The people for to warn.

Did you hear the engineer say,"Thank you, car,
For stopping far enough back,
That on the icy roads you did
Not slide onto the track."?

Someone has to count the cars,
Someone must plan the run;
Leave four cars here and pick up three,
Make sure you drop the right one.

We very seldom stop and think
About the jobs that other folks do,
So when, at a crossing, you must wait,
Please say a prayer for the crew.

We all depend on the mighty trains,
Though most people don't even know,
How the railroads helped to settle this land,
And how they help our nation grow.

May God protect our railroads,
Keep them running straight and true.
And, Father, I offer a special prayer;
"Please take good care of the crew".

by Mary Yetter
January 24, 2000