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TREES AND OTHER POEMS

THE TWELVE-FORTY-FIVE (continued) And beautiful upon the hills

Are these our feet of burnished steel.

Subtly and certainly I feel

That Glen Rock welcomes us to her

And silent Ridgewood seems to stir

And smile, because she knows the train

Has brought her children back again.

We carry people home—and so

God speeds us, wheresoe'er we go.

Hohokus, Waldwick, Allendale

Lift sleepy heads to give us hail.

In Ramsey, Mahwah, Suffern stand

Houses that wistfully demand

A father—son—some human thing

That this, the midnight train, may bring.

The trains that travel in the day

They hurry folks to work or play.

The midnight train is slow and old

But of it let this thing be told,

To its high honor be it said

It carries people home to bed.

My cottage lamp shines white and clear.

God bless the train that brought me here. [ 16 ]