Comment from T B Botts

Excellent

Hello Jim,
I realized that I hadn't been following you and I wanted to look up something that you'd written. I've always loved trains, and when I was a kid I used to sit in rapture whenever I saw one. I just recently read a beautiful illustrated book put out by the Smithsonian Institute. It's called simply,
Train. The cover is stunning, with a green steam engine on the front. I borrowed it from the library and it was so comprehensive, covering the very earliest trains to our modern ones. If you enjoy trains, I know you'd like this book. Well done on your poem here Jim. It was a delight to read, except for the part about Ole Blue being destroyed.
Have a blessed day.
Tom

 Comment Written 24-Jan-2024

---

reply by the author on 24-Jan-2024

Thanks for reading this oldie, Tom. I used to enjoy trains as a kid and had my own HO train set. The hobby didn't persist into adulthood, but to this day I love to see a well-designed model train set. There's a transportation museum about an hour from where I live, and they have a very impressive one that I (and my grandkids) enjoy.

This poem was sort of typical of my poetry, most of which is humor poetry. This particular one I rewrote to have a southwestern theme for a poetry contest sponsored in the southwest, which required it to take place in one of the 4 corner states and have a supernatural presence. Unfortunately, there weren't enough entries in the contest, and they refunded our entry fees.

Comment from bob cullen

Exceptional

Firstly, congratulations on your one hundredth post. May there be many more to come. I am an old Railway fan and this poem really grabbed my attention. The picture is amazing and the poem is even better. Loved the rhyme and meter of this piece. It rolled beautifully off the tongue. I look forward to reading more of your work.

 Comment Written 19-Feb-2023

---

reply by the author on 20-Feb-2023

Thanks very much for the great review and the 6 stars, Bob. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Jim

Comment from dragonpoet

Excellent

Hi Jim,
This is a well told story in rhyme.
It shows us that we can be useful no matter how ages we are. It is a sad ending that he had to blow up. At lest he became a legend.'
Congratulations for placing third in the contest
Keep writing and stay healthy
Joan

 Comment Written 16-Feb-2023

---

reply by the author on 16-Feb-2023

Thanks so much, Joan. I will definitely keep writing and hopefully stay healthy. Jim

reply by dragonpoet on 16-Feb-2023

You are most kindly welcome. Jim.
Joan

Comment from Stu Harrell

Excellent

Great stuff......Years ago I rode the Missouri Pacific (MOPAC) from Houston to New Orleans and the the Louisville and Nashville (L&N) to Montgomery Alabama...I was alone and a young teenager but the conductors and porters checked on me....Lots of Twinkies and Ellery Queen books in the chair car.......Life was Grand.....I enjoy your writing ....All the Best....Stu Harrell

 Comment Written 14-Feb-2023

---

reply by the author on 14-Feb-2023

Thank you, Stu. Sounds like you have fond memories of that.

Comment from Faith Williams

Excellent

Congratulations on your milestone post, Jim! Steam engines are the best though I'm not sure about the ending. I can't decide if my boys would have been horrified at the train exploding or loved it. Thanks for sharing, and best wishes in the contest.

 Comment Written 30-Jan-2023

---

reply by the author on 30-Jan-2023

Thank you, Faith. Yeah, I tend to think older kids will like it while younger kids may be horrified. The vocabulary and some of the expressions are really geared toward older kids I think.

Comment from harmony13

Excellent

I enjoyed reading the Ballad of Ole Blue! The author's words are interesting, descriptive and creative. The words were detailed and fun. I could see how kids would love this Ballad! Thank you for the author's notes - I like knowing the history. The artwork is awesome and compliments the words and theme of this poem. Great Poem!

 Comment Written 30-Jan-2023

---

reply by the author on 30-Jan-2023

Thank you very much. I guess I've gotten into writing ballads lately, as the recent "Wile on the Green" is also a ballad. Both of them have unhappy endings, though, and I'm not sure what that's about, because I normally prefer happy endings.

Comment from jmdg1954

Excellent

Jim,

A novelist and a poet. Impressive.

I enjoyed this ballad of Ole Blue. Your storytelling is intense as it kept my interest from the beginning and the rhymes never forced. Sad ending, but I felt you did your best to soften it for children. If this were in a book with drawings kids would absolutely love it.

Great writing, my friend.
John

 Comment Written 30-Jan-2023

---

reply by the author on 30-Jan-2023

Thanks, John. I'm happy to hear you say that it kept your interest. I often find with long ballad-type poems that my interest flags in the middle.

Comment from w.j.debi

Excellent

Oh, no! I was hoping Ol' Blue would make it and be a hero, maybe be put back into service as a tourist train or something like that as has happened to one line we have in my area.

I was drawn in by the title. I love a good ballad and you delivered, even though the outcome was sad. Love the "smithereens" word. That will be so fun for children to say and then have explained to them. It creates a creat visual.

 Comment Written 29-Jan-2023

---

reply by the author on 29-Jan-2023

Thank you so much. I hope kids won't be too disappointed by the sad ending, but I tried to make it somewhat humorous with the brakeman forgetting the minor detail of throwing the switch.

Comment from Carol Hillebrenner

Excellent

This is a really fun poem that children would love. It has a simple rhythm and lovely rhyme. Children now days understand that things don't always end like you want, so the ending isn't a problem, depending on the publisher. You might look up Cricket Publishing and see what they are buying. They make an excellent product with their books and magazines, but claim all rights. I took that offer and it turned out to be very good because they sold the story to 4 testing places so that a story I sold to their magazine for around $400 ended up earning me nearly $2000 because they split whatever they got on the second rights sale equally with the author.

 Comment Written 29-Jan-2023

---

reply by the author on 29-Jan-2023

Interesting. Thanks for the tip and the good review, Carol.

Comment from barbara.wilkey

Excellent

Thank you for sharing this poem with us. A few years back my husband and I went to Durango, Colorado and took the Durango & Silverton Narrow gauge railroad ride to Cascade Canyon. It has a steam locomotive. It was a lot of fun. If you ever get that direction, I highly recommend it.

 Comment Written 29-Jan-2023

---

reply by the author on 29-Jan-2023

I was on that train on a trip to Colorado back in 1978! It was fun.