Category Archives: favorite brand

STRANGER THINGS…

Stranger outcomes happen,

When opportunity’s tapping,

Wanting in

And you begin

Writing ideas you’re trapping!

He’s written ’bout Christ and trains–

Weather seems worth one’s pains….

Fashion poems are new

As something to do,

And the challenge takes working brains!

I’d say it is channeling energy,

Most of which has left me….

Shapes and sizes

And stylish surmises,

Still need a bard’s entrée.

“An eye for the women.” one said,

Focusing on their clothes instead..

“Clothes make the man”

And women, and can

Leave little more to be said!

YET–a poet describes,

Details that emanate vibes…

Along a track

That likes feedback,

Both positive and wise!

–Jonathan Caswell

 

 

 

CRITTER CALLS!

Not quite like peepers at night,

Railroad critters have their own light…

G.E.’s tend to whine

On their owner’s dime,

With short cuts of cars they fight!

The twenty-five tonner “dinky”

Exhaust tends toward stinky…

Smoke in the eyes

Is no surprise,

At times blue smoke turns inky!

When old, oft put on display,

Costs more to scrap anyway…

Does its job

With no hobnob,

From the big trains’ right of way!

–Jonathan Caswell

POET…AFTER (A) FASHION!

He calls himself “fashion poet”,

One or two others know it…

In pursuits

Avoiding lawsuits,

He certainly doesn’t want to blow it!

Him being man and all,

Must carefully judge his call…

With less passion

Than stereotypical fashion,

Not being the Beast at the ball.

Gender matters to him,

Especially if women…

They’re the kind

He most has in mind,

Do they mind if he tiptoes in?

–Jonathan Caswell

TRAPPIST FOODS

When J. J. NISSEN folded,

My image of a bakery molded…

Its replacement too big

So I had to dig,

To see what research “beholded”.

My past is in two places–

It one ever traces–

The lines of “me”

Diligently

For personal data chases!

Massachusetts, New York State,

My two major windows of fate…

Born here

But raised over there,

Memories in both are great.

One of my faves was Monks Bread,

A Trappist Monastery did…

And still does

The bread funds their cause,

Producing jams, jellies, plus all kinds of bread!

A model flat against the wall,

Leaves hardly space at all…

Have to use what I have

Of plastic walls saved,

Modeling a bakery et. al.

So I thought of TRAPPIST FOODS,

A catch-all title to use…

Producing bread

And conserves, I said,

Switching different train cars is a ball!

Specifically, flour and fruit,

Corn syrup and sugar to boot…

Isn’t enough?

They brand other stuff,

The question of a brewery—moot.

MONKS BREAD  from Western New York,

From that Trappist Abbey of course…

A college friend

Heading toward that end,

Found a wife and went in another!

–Jonathan Caswell

HANDS-ON…MY HISTORY

HANDS-ON…MY HISTORY

I took a fabled RS-1* into the living room

On a tray to try doing some work…

I wanted to replace that body shell with one bought new,

Then progress was caught up with a jerk.

It was the Two-Fourteen I had in my hands,

Numbered for our first letter exchange…

February Second completed the first round

As our relationship grew strong and aged.

The “214” is painted silver with red-white-and blue

Stripe around both hoods (old AMTRAK stock)…

Maybe I’ll just finish changing this one’s couplers’

Putting one of three “NEW HAVENs” on the body shell changing block!

–Jonathan Caswell

*NOTE:

All of these locomotives are N scale models of the American Locomotive Company (ALCO) model RS-1…in the author’s collection.  Some of his units are lettered and numbered for important life events….like when he and his wife exchanged their first letters (#214)  or the date they were engaged (#5388…for the date 5/3/1988).

DEODORANT ITCH-?

DEODORANT ITCH-?

He found antiperperant

(The stuff in a gift box sent),

Wasn’t ideal–

The itching was real,

Not as the maker meant!

He enjoyed the smell and the brand,

He was a traditional man…

But couldn’t bathe every day

To keep itch away,

The scratching got harder to sstand.

He’s tossed out that fancier kind,

Was driving him out of his mind…

Went back to basic,

We just have to face it

When allergic, one gets in a bind!

–Jonathan Caswell