MODULE 3--POETRY BREAK: UNUSUAL FORM— A poem written in picture book form

MODULE 3--POETRY BREAK: UNUSUAL FORM—
A poem written in picture book form

BIBLIOGRAPHY
Siebert, Diane. 1981. TRAIN SONG. Paintings by Mike Wimmer.
New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0690047282


INTRODUCTION
This poem is written as a picture book. First, read SEYMOUR SIMON’S BOOK OF TRAINS then read TRAIN SONG.

Simon, Seymour. 2004. SEYMOUR SIMON’S BOOK OF TRAINS. New York: HarperCollins. ISBN 0064462234




out in back
railroad track
clickety-clack
clickety-clack
locomotives
cars in tow
going places:
Buffalo
New York City
Boston, Mass.
slowing ‘neath the overpass
Dallas
Fort Worth
Abilene
with stops at all points
in between
steel wheels rolling
on steel trails
rumbling
grumbling
on steel rails
engineers with striped hats
head-of-the-line aristocrats
up in front
sitting high
see them wave as go by
great trains
freight trains
talk about your late trains
the 509
right on time
straight through to L.A.
whistle blows
there she goes
slicing through the day
boxcars
flatcars
going-to-North Platte cares:
Cotton Belt
Santa Fe
New York Central
on their way
long trains
strong trains
singing-clickety-song trains
cars with lumber
cars with cattle
clickety-clacking
to Seattle
cars piled high with automobiles
wheels
on
wheels
on
wheels
on
wheels
tank cars hauling gasoline
diesel oil and kerosene
thirty hoppers in a row
hauling spuds from Idaho
caboose of yellow at the ends
disappearing 'round the bend
trains with passengers on board
clickety-clacking
rolling toward
their destinations far away
clickety-clacking
night and day
coaches
club cars
diners, too
dome cars with a perfect view
signal lights
green
yellow
red
railroad station up ahead
rolling
rolling
into town
toward the platform
slowing down
creaking
clanking
air brakes squeal
moaning
groaning
steel on steel
Overnighter to the bay
arrive at noon on Saturday
get a sleeper
don't be late
she's waiting on Track number 8
head conductor
dressed in black
peering up and down the track
checks his watch
now hear him shout:
"ALL ABOARD"
she's pulling out!
through the tunnel
going fast
clickety-clack
she's roaring past
the cities, suburbs, little towns
past forest greens and desert browns
spikes and crossties
smooth, worn rails
through the twilight
whistle wails
feel the rhythm
hear the sound
clickety-clacking
homeward bound
say good night
and
wave good-bye
hear the railroad lullaby







EXTENSIONS

Have the students make their own trains. The pattern is available at http://familyfun.go.com/printables/craft-templates/printable/train-engine/train-engine.html.


Also this book could be paired with:
O’Brien, Patrick. 2000. STEAM, SMOKE AND STEEL: BACK IN TIME WITH TRAINS. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing. ISBN 0881069698
Sobel, June. 2006. THE GOODNIGHT TRAIN.
Orlando: Harcourt. ISBN 0152054367