The Pearly Gate

 

The Pearly Gate

The train whistled and passed 
Over hills and plains
Spewing smoke as it sped
The Pearly Gate my destination.
 
Safe inside the coach
Under mama’s loving care
Hands tightly wound around;
Never was a place as safe.
 
My brother and my papa sat next to me
The train tirelessly chugged along.
My grandma sat further down,
Her journey soon will end.
 
I climbed down my mother’s lap
And handed the space to another one,
Then another and another
But soon all freed themselves.
 
The train moved along and, on its way,
Villages, hamlets, towns and cities
Whiffed past like a theatre screen,
The Pearly Gate nowhere in sight.
 
It then stopped just enough to start again
The elderly alighted; their batons left behind
With their batons in hand, energized
The siblings reared to go.
 
The train moved on and on
Letting in people, at every stop
Spouses, children and all
Enthusing the journey with their love and care
 
Seated at the window, amid the glory of dusk
And the beauty of deep colours
My journey continues on and on
The Pearly Gate, my destination.