Around the World to the Other Side of the World

Millennium train
looks like a lion’s mane
 
Red Rattler
looks like a rat
running across the road
(might get skittled by a vehicle)
noisy and rattles a lot
smells of new paint
moving seats dropping over on both sides
the windows slide up and down (up and down)
like the upside down rides at the Easter show
 
Tangara train
is a pussycat
(Meow Meow)
a cat having kittens
rail staff, managers
feet on seats
Pussycat Kenny Mathews
sleeps in the yards
next to the other trains
dreams about going through
Easter and Christmas station
Cloud Heaven station where the boats
go to Manly and Darling Father
 
Oscar train
is a dog face
(WOOF WOOF WOOF)
a black big greyhound
keeps biting my nephew’s hand
might be taken to the vets to be putdown
 
Country Express train
(Thom’s train express service)
used to all green seats before
like a green frog, a tree, lettuce and alfalfa on green bread 
but they changed it to purple seats inside now
like Be truth, purple books, and purple paint
a deer that eats grass and water
galloping on the railway line, moving through dark tunnels
sleeps on metal
 
The S-set silver train (the K-sets are also silver)
Freddy Greg
more like a squeaky mouse
all the windows are called mouse traps
doors go into the wall
plays hide and seek

Thom Roberts, 'Baby Bo', Acrylic on Canvas, 2020