Edinburgh Waverley

A magical place
For a boy to be,
Was a platform
At Edinburgh Waverley!
A1s, A2s, A3s, A4s,
Eager whistles
And slamming doors,
As steam and smoke
Hung in the air,
There were trains
To everywhere!
And if you got
Your timing right,
The ‘Queen of Scots’
Was a glorious sight!
Hauling Pullmans
Heading South,
Left wisps of steam
At the tunnel mouth,
‘The Coronation’,
With lines so sleek,
‘The Flying Scotsman’,
With coaches teak,
Stirred the heart
And moved the soul,
Those mighty beasts
Of steam and coal!
And thus a seed of love
Was sown,
Within a boy
Who now has grown
Into a man
Who still loves trains,
Who though he has
His aches and pains,
Is instantly
Made young again,
By the thought of steam
On Platform 10!

© David Gibson, 2019