Railway for the Lost
By Sophia Gonzales, 16, Spain
the train continues on
restless for a home
creaking through railways
steering through winding and unyielding lines
of uncharted territory
the train stops for a brief moment
departing from its familiar station
nostalgic for a home it cannot turn towards
yearning for the lost places of the past
the wheels turn once again
leaving its passengers behind
the kind man with a hat
the woman holding a smiling baby
they kiss and hug their loved ones
forgetting the train
who could only scrape and rust
and groan whispers of lost hope
throughout the twisting path
the engine strains from nervous exhaustion
continuing a wretched journey
as signs swiftly pass away and vanish out of sight
where should it travel for help?
it knows it cannot break
the metal made too strong
the bars made too thick
so it continues, unnoticed and overlooked
the conductors, engineers, crewmen
all unaware of the painful murmurs to stop
the pleading silenced by the chatter of passengers
hushed by the free laughter of vacationers
so it continues without a fight
navigating foreign terrain
quietly searching for
the reverie of a solaced shelter
a side road
that returns home
I wrote this poem to convey the power and hurt caused by mental illness. The train symbolizes an individual struggling with depression, wanting more than anything to get back home to a place of familiarity and safety, of loved ones and support. Yet, their depression forces them to continue a hopeless and confusing journey towards foreign territory. On this journey, the train loses passengers, symbolizing hints of happiness that are shadowed by the sadness. The idea of loneliness is portrayed with the description of the train searching for help but finding none, maybe because it hides its struggles and people are unaware of the pain, believing the train is strong and overlooking cries for help.
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