I wrote this poem about the journey through school from the first day of kindergarten to high school graduation day. The steam train will take you along this one-way 13- stop ride. It will be one that will bring pride, joy, memories, and maybe some nostalgia. Whether you are reading this poem as a high school senior, junior or graduate, whether you cherish or detest your past experiences, let the train take your thoughts back through the moments and the years. All aboard!

Take a ride to the station in the morning.

Wait at the bus stop at eight o'clock.

Move the wheels, find the class, start the day with a polished look.

Whooo, whoo, hush

It's like a runway, freeway, rumbling by

Like a night train on a moonlit ride

Heading down a one-way route

Get off at the first stop

It's an autumn morning

From kindergarten through sixth

As a fledgling learns to fly

Hear laughter and screams in the school-yard

Days feel slow, but they're always filled with capacity

The whistle blows again; climb back on the ride

Pass hills, pass valleys,

Pull in, huffing by, gaining knowledge

Through 7th, 8th, 9th

The rails feel rougher

Take a stare, take a step, take a stride, take a date to the dance at 15

The steam trails behind

Like a runway, freeway, rumbling by

Like a night train on a moonlit ride

The whistle blares, as the engine groans, as tracks lead the way.

The final stops approach

Through 10th, 11th, 12th

It's the school plays, the big games, the prom nights

It's the pressures, the failures, the victories, the fun times, the last times

Bumpy rides, just gaze out the window

The tracks all lie ahead, just keep on rolling on

Wait for that those final hours

Walking to the stadium in caps and gowns

The tassels turn, the caps fly up

The whistle toots for the final time, as the train leaves the last station

Branching out to different ends

With no right track and no two destinations that will be the same

New beginnings soon arise with each new step and each new stride