Ghost Trains

old songs strike a chord

gift briefly a home long gone

there lingers my soul

Reviews

[Patricia Wedel]

A lovely Haiku for us to read on my Eighty First birthday.
Music for our heart and soul... to be shared with my
Sweetheart and the breeze in the trees. Thank you
for sharing your inspiration.... lighting Candles one at a time... every hour...
would that take about two days ? lol. gently, Pat

[Chris Shaw]

Dear Pat many belated happy returns for your birthday yesterday. I hope you had a super day. I would light a thousand candles for you, you deserve it dear friend.

Chris

[Patricia Wedel]

dearest Chris... I am humbled by your blessing.
My daughter Edie and her daughter Maddie traveled to New Jersey for Saturday and Sunday softball Tournaments.
They stayed overnight Sat and Sun night to be rested and relaxed for the Games. Edie had the most gorgeous Biuquet of flowers

[Patricia Wedel]

Edie had the most gorgeous Bouquet of flowers delivered to my door on April 23 at nine am in the morning... white Hydrangea and soft pink Roses with yellow and orange Lillies. Roger and I
drove by the Rappahannock River with many Sighs of Beauty. Thank you for your
kind review. Please note ... there is a typo above ... should be softball Tournaments. Be blessed dear friend. gently, Pat

[Chris Shaw]

How wonderful to have family visit and such a wonderful birthday bouquet. You must have had a marvellous time.

Chris

[Patricia Wedel]

Yes... if I stand up and turn around, 81 becomes 18 ...
memories tucked away... truly, Pat

[Chris Shaw]

Ha, that's the way to do it Pat :)

[Einstein Noodle]

so universal and relatable, Chris ..speaks right to me .. so many old songs that give instant rise to living memories .. they invoke our feelings don't they .. for me they are mostly 50s and 60s tunes .. a much simpler time when voice and melody meant more ... and they were about puppy love and broken hearts .. i think the most violent one i remember is "My Boyfriend's Back" ;) and "Leader of the Pack" ... and there were strong social voices of Dillon, Baez, Donovan etc. .. but they didn't incite to riot .. tho we did have a couple ;) anyway .. too happy to read your senryu ... tho there is no foible in it ..just fond memories
E.

[Chris Shaw]

Hello Mr E. Lovely to have a visit from you. Leader of the Pack, I remember well. I think it may have been banned for a while back then. Seems strange now to think of that. Your fifties music would no doubt include some of the stuff that takes me back on my ghost train. My Mum and Dad loved music. I grew up with Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Mathis, Doris Day, all those fab singers and then jazz music, Duke Ellington, Count Basie. There are songs I hear from Ella that can reduce me to tears, happy ones I might add. Yes, old songs can transport us and I am thankful for that and the wonderful memories they can bring. Times were simpler then eh? Sending you all good wishes across the waves. Take good care of yourself.

Chris

[Einstein Noodle]

those were some of my Ma's favorites too .. me Da was not much into music .. Perry Como was another ;) Ella cuts across time doesn't she?!

[Chris Shaw]

Perry - yes Catch A Falling Star. Ella, no one will top her. Iconic, I still listen to her now. I'm not sure whether to wish you goodnight or good morning. It is both late and early for you Mr E :)

[Einstein Noodle]

ahahaha yes it is...i am asleep by 9-10 at the latest and at my age 5 hrs of sleep is plenty .. i am up for the day. ;) its 2:56 at the moment ..AM. ... best of the day to you too Chris. i appreciate getting to know you in poetry .. right here at the Cafe'

[Chris Shaw]

It is 9.00am. I am still in bed. Having a lie in. Enjoy your day now you are up. That would be the middle of the night for me :) Pleased we should meet through our love of poetry too:))

[Poetic Beauty]

Songs can bring back all kinds of memories and emotions

[Chris Shaw]

They can indeed PB. Some so very welcome and others you would prefer to forget. This ghost train though, brings me peaceful contentment like no other. A different time a different place. Appreciate your visits no end.

Chris

[Poetic Beauty]

Memories can be amazing and haunting and many times it all depends on our emotional state we are in when those memories come about

[Chris Shaw]

So true PB, so true :)

[Poetic Beauty]

I wish bright pleasant memories for you to dance within

[Chris Shaw]

Likewise the same for you :)

[Poetic Beauty]

Thank you 😊....

[Remanence]

Board this train and the next stop is thirty years ago, and you are so right, our soul lingers. So very well done!

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you for your ever encouraging support. Pleased you can relate.

Chris

[red93]

Excellent Chris - using the 5-7-5 syllabic structure - and 'plucking the strings' very effectively. In my haiku journey, I began writing in the strict syllables, and I think it gives you an excellent grounding in the demands of the form. The Japanese themselves do not specify that haiku have to be 5-7-5 - the scansion of the verses in Japanese is not possible to be rendered exactly in English. If you wanted to check out the Mainichi Haiku Website, out of Tokyo Japan, which is attached to Japan's largest daily newspaper, you will find plenty of examples of the modern free form Haiku in English from all over the World. But as they say 'Whatever floats your boat' and I can tell you have a real aptitude for haiku writing and its subtleties.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you so much for this informative and generous review. You appear to be an expert, whereas I am a mere novice :) Thank you also for the web site details. Could be worth a look. Have a great day.

Chris

[red93]

Thanks so much Chris. I don't know about being an expert on Haiku - I think you have to write in Japanese to be a true expert - but I have won Prizes for my English language versions :)

[John Cardwell]

Wonderful haiku Chris! The title drew me in. The poem, a beautiful truth for me as well.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you John, I really appreciate your visit and generous comments. All the best.

Chris

[Weeping willow]

Love these words as memories low within ;-]

[Chris Shaw]

Pleased for you visit Weeping willow. Thanks for checking in.

Chris

[Ted Kniffen]

There are two things that seem to provoke old memories ... old songs and certain aromas.

I love the title Chris ... my grandfather worked for the railroad for 50 years as a line chief.

A good write.
Take care.

[Chris Shaw]

Many thanks Ted. Pleased you like the title too. True what you say about aromas. Roast lamb and mint sauce and certain perfumes do that for me. Hope all is good in your neck of the woods.

Chris

[Ted Kniffen]

Yeah Chris ... don't get me going about patchouli ... my oh my, still turns my head.

Things are well with us at the moment.

[Chris Shaw]

Good things are OK with you. You know that patchouli has alot to answer for. There's someone else I know that feels the same as you do about it:)

[barleygirl]

Certain snippets of certain songs can send me into a reverie so deep, I'm feeling the highway rumble under my tires, the wind on my face, how I felt about the person I was with, & I can't believe I'm really this old raggedy person when I surface from this lyrical plunge! Your tiny little poem did all THAT, too! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[Chris Shaw]

Those old songs can make the younger you come back. Just love it when that happens and then I'm a disco Queen again :)) Thanks Margie

[lightsong]

music does that to us, all the times, always a song is connected to a memory. soulful one dear Chris.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you lightsong, how right you are. Songs connect us to memories, people and places. All good wishes winging their way to you.

Chris