TexasEscapes.com HOME Welcome to Texas Escapes
A magazine written by Texas
 
New   |   Texas Towns   |   Ghost Towns   |   Counties   |   Trips   |   Features   |   Columns   |   Architecture   |   Images   |   Archives   |   Site Map

Texas | Columns | "Once Upon A Line"

Railroad Bridge

by David Knape
Railroad bridge
relic from the past
still there
precariously hanging on

the old bridge now insulted
with flood debris and trash
it shows its age and dereliction
rusted iron
broken down
rotting

now only memories hang
from its girders
all that's left of tracks
that ran from piney woods
to prairie

fierce locomotives once
clattered across the bridge
hauling freight and customers
people waved
proud to see trains coming
happy to hear their whistles
announcing commerce
signaling progress

the bridge so sad and neglected
lost out here in the woods
overgrown and unnoticed
plastic bags hang from it
like white flags
saying I surrender

all the glory of trains and bridges
is gone forever
no more mighty roar of smoke
no more clamor of chugging wheels
no more red cabooses

covered in trumpet vines
and all but forgotten
the bridge is now
a bridge to nowhere

not needed
no longer used
now all it spans is silence
whispers from the past

the bridge remains
a rusty reminder
of what used to be

a time
when the country
like ourselves
was young and full of promise.
Austin County TX - Brazos Country RR Bridge OverBrazos I-10 and Waller County Line

Brazos Country Railroad Bridge
over the Brazos at I-10/Waller County Line.
TE photo, 2008

© d.knape June 11, 2018

More "Once Upon A Line" by d.knape
More Columns

Related Topics:
Texas Bridges | Texas Railroads

 

 


Texas Escapes Online Magazine »   Archive Issues » Go to Home Page »
TEXAS TOWNS & COUNTIES TEXAS LANDMARKS & IMAGES TEXAS HISTORY & CULTURE TEXAS OUTDOORS MORE
Texas Counties
Texas Towns A-Z
Texas Ghost Towns

TEXAS REGIONS:
Central Texas North
Central Texas South
Texas Gulf Coast
Texas Panhandle
Texas Hill Country
East Texas
South Texas
West Texas

Courthouses
Jails
Churches
Schoolhouses
Bridges
Theaters
Depots
Rooms with a Past
Monuments
Statues

Gas Stations
Post Offices
Museums
Water Towers
Grain Elevators
Cotton Gins
Lodges
Stores
Banks

Vintage Photos
Historic Trees
Cemeteries
Old Neon
Ghost Signs
Signs
Murals
Gargoyles
Pitted Dates
Cornerstones
Then & Now

Columns: History/Opinion
Texas History
Small Town Sagas
Black History
WWII
Texas Centennial
Ghosts
People
Animals
Food
Music
Art

Books
Cotton
Texas Railroads

Texas Trips
Texas Drives
Texas State Parks
Texas Rivers
Texas Lakes
Texas Forts
Texas Trails
Texas Maps
USA
MEXICO
HOTELS

Site Map
About Us
Privacy Statement
Disclaimer
Contributors
Staff
Contact Us

 
Website Content Copyright Texas Escapes LLC. All Rights Reserved