A train whistle pierced the valley
On a summer night long ago.
It echoed through the hilltops.
And through the valley below.
On a summer night long ago.
It echoed through the hilltops.
And through the valley below.
The train approached Bostian Bridge.
The brakeman pulled the bell.
The train rounded the curve too fast
And sent the riders into hell.
On a night one year later
People spied a ghostly man
Who disappeared before their eyes.
And there the legend began.
On an August night so humid
A young man and his friends
Began a slow climb up to the hilltop
The train trestle to ascend.
Christopher was with his love
The woman he hoped to wed
He put his arm around her waist
The warm ground soft beneath their tread.
She laughed as spun his stories
About the whistle they’d soon hear
From the ghost train he said was coming
In the moonlight soon and clear.
He prattled and joked about the men
Whose mouths would look so grim
With spatters of blood on their white faces.
She drew closer and closer to him.
And indeed they heard a whistle
In the middle of that night
A loud long whistle that split the air
And filled their hearts with fright.
And indeed they heard a whistle.
Their eyes opened wide in fear
For this was not the ghost train
That they heard coming near.
Their friends cried out at them to run
But his love could not keep pace.
Chris turned his true love towards him—
With one loving last glance at her face.
He cupped his hand beneath her chin
To give her one last kiss
And said, “I love you, always know.”
And pushed her off the bridge.
No more would her eyes look into his.
No more would he draw breath
Never would she be his wife,
He bought her life with his death.
The tears she sheds right now will pass
Today will turn into long ago.
His loving words will echo the hills
And the deep ravine below.
This is an example of a ballad I wrote last year, based on a story I read in the paper. Apparently, there's a legendary ghost train that people go to see on the anniversary of its plunge into a ravine, and one night two years ago, a young man went with his friends and fiancee to see it. They were on the bridge when they heard the whistle of a real train, and Christoper pushed her out of the way, sacrificing his life to save hers.
ReplyDeleteOh Spain
ReplyDeleteIt all started when I visited Spain
I wanted a vacation where I could raise Cain
A lifetime experience I’ll never forget
The light in my heart will ever stay lit.
Spain oh Spain how I love you
Without you what I do
I was younger; I was eager when I saw you
I saw your beauty and ugly too.
Day one went by, we couldn’t believe our eyes
The talk of poverty was nothing but lies.
Day two went by, the time was even better
Our smiles were so big you’d thought it was cheddar
Spain oh Spain how I love you
Without you what I do
You changed my, for good not bad
You took away life’s evil sad
We loved that city of old Madrid
We walked and we walked, saw the statute of El Cid
From town to town we ventured around
Saw the sights no American has found.
Spain oh Spain how I love you
Without you what I do
I walked, I ran, and I trotted your land
I fell in love with your white sand
We ended in a little sea town named Calella
Oh how I’ll miss that yellow paella.
It’s time to go home now, I hate to say
You taught me a lot in every way.
I really liked your ballad. I thought it was sad how the man in love had to dye saving his love.
ReplyDeletethis is so sad. that girl now has to live with the fact that he died to save her. to us it's heoric, to her she'll probably never get over the guilt.
ReplyDelete