By Eithne Cullen

Welcome to July’s Thoughtful Tuesday page. Moving from the theme of Mindset to our new theme of Reflections makes this a time of transition for us.

For me, it’s an easy transition, as so much writing is a way of the writer reflecting on a thought, a feeling, a mood or a story – and the piece the writer produces is a reflection of her/his reflection on the writing process.

So to begin today’s page, I have two very reflective pieces from Pen to Print regulars. In each, we see the poet considering where strength comes from and how our attitudes to standing strong may be different.

First, here’s Danny:

Just Do It (An Inner Monologue)

Coz you thought about it too much didn’t you?
I warned you not to, didn’t I?
Now you’ve reinforced it.
You’ve burrowed it deep down.
And now… it’s gonna take something to dig it out of your head, isn’t it?
I told you just go do the thing.
Don’t think about it,
Just do it…
Then it’ll be done.
But you thought about it didn’t you?
Like I told you not to.
I told you if you start to think about it, you’re gonna end up talking yourself out of it.
Now look at you!
Getting ready to quit and all.
I told you, leave the thinking to me.
Got a level head on my shoulders.
Unlike you…thoughts and emotions all over the place.
There’s no point in trying to take over the thinking if you are gonna end up sinking, innit?
Now we are gonna have to get you to un-think what you thought, that’s what I’m saying.
Yeah, that’s right.
What is it that they say? ‘Take every thought captive.’?
Yeah, you need to be doing a whole lot of that.
You can’t say that you stand for one thing then be thinking another.
That’s not what standing means.
Your standing has got to start from the inside, I tell you.

© Danny Baxter, 2025

Connect with Danny on Instagram: @dan_lbbd

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This lovely poem from Gloria Maloney continues exploring the theme:

On The Verge Of Change

The stoic dandelion in the emerald-green verge
bends with the gusts of seasonal change
Strong yoga spine, deep roots seeking firmer ground

She speaks to the dandelion in me of resilience and strength
Facing adversity in challenging conditions

I must keep my roots deep but move with the times
She is my Sensi teacher in this urban world

© Gloria Maloney, 2025

 

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On another reflective note, I heard recently that 2025 is the 200th anniversary of the birth of the modern railway. This gave me cause to reflect on a few issues around trains and railways. In my performance piece, included in London Stories Made By Migrants, I told the story of my own move from Ireland to live in England as a small child.

One of the memories that stuck was one I included in my story… The bright morning showed us England, which to me looked very much like a series of busy railway stations. There were several trains and several changes. I’ve had other train and railway stories to tell since then, including once getting on the wrong train and ending up back where I started. My flatmate assured me I’d laugh about it someday and I was furious, but he was right, it is rather funny! And coming back from Hay this year, we experienced cancellations and having to think on our feet as the day grew more difficult.

I’m also very aware that the area I live in would not have grown the way it has if it hadn’t been for the coming of the railways back in the 1840s.

And there are a couple of train poems in my head since childhood, which I’d recommend for you:

From A Railway Carriage

Faster than fairies, faster than witches,
Bridges and houses, hedges and ditches;
And charging along like troops in a battle,
All through the meadows the horses and cattle:

(c) Robert Louis Stephenson

And:

Night Mail

This is the night mail crossing the Border,
Bringing the cheque and the postal order,
Letters for the rich, letters for the poor,
The shop at the corner, the girl next door.
Pulling up Beattock, a steady climb:
The gradient’s against her, but she’s on time.
Past cotton-grass and moorland boulder
Shovelling white steam over her shoulder.

(c) W.H. Auden

So I thought everyone must have one story or poem to share. And I was right. Here’s one from Claire Buss:

Riding The Train

My little man loves riding the train
His first journey at just four weeks old
Not bothered by the noise and the clatter
Not scared of the pram roll or the door or the people swarming

No car, East London, the train is your lifeline
Everywhere is easy to get to
Hop on, hop off, oyster and swipe
But when the lift’s not working it’s all about the kindness of strangers

We go local, we go far
Criss-crossing the multi-coloured lines
He likes to know how many stops
Gets giddy at each door that swishes

It’s like a foreign language
C2C, Overground, Underground, TFL Rail
Southern Line, Anglian, Great Northern, Great Western
GNER, Virgin, East Coast, fast and slow

They smell of multicultural people, flavours, dishes & spices
They feel hot, bumpy with itchy chair covers & smeary windows
They look grungy, dingy, used and well worn
They sound loud, beeping & swishing with the incessant chatter of a 1000 tongues

My boy loves the trains
Each new trip, a brand new adventure
He travels the lines with joy in his heart
Chugga chugga choo choo!

© Claire Buss, 2019

Connect with Claire on Instagram: @grasshopper2407 and on Facebook: facbook.com/busswriter

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Our next poem is from Vrushali:

On The Way

It was my brother’s first train ride,
with us, with his family.
Dad, Mom and his sister,
By his side and on the way!

A wait at the station,
Sister busy in people watching.
High browing his mother’s povs,
By his side and they’ll be on the way!

Getting on the train,
With bags on shoulders,
Whistles the train,
Along with his giggling sister,
By his side and on the way!

Gushing through crowds,
Holding each other hands,
Not loosing the track of time,
Now he catches his sister whine.

A slow, a more grounded touch.
Came with perspective.
No stewardess to greet him now
But only a Ticketmaster,
Swiping his tablet now,
In past would have pulled some paper tix.

Mom shared tales of childhood trains,
Of simple rides through open plains,
His sister with headphones on,
Turning her dreams on!
Connecting the dots,
Crunching on tangy treats,
By his side and on the way.

© Vrushali Khadilkar, 2025

Connect with Vrushali on Instagram: @aprilautumnservices

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Pen to Print and Write On! regular Mary Walsh writes poems on trains, observing and reflecting on what goes on as the train rattles along. So I knew there would be a healthy selection from her.

Morning Commute

Balancing, swaying,
Train rumbles beneath our feet,
Creaks to its destination.
People crowded,
Thrust together,
Close and closer,
Hearts beating in unison.

Cardigans over weary arms,
Jackets slung on tired shoulders,
Backpacks, handbags, briefcases,
Each carrying worries and dreams

Scrolling on phones
Interminable drone,
Announcing stations,
A lone voice pleading for room,
“Move down a bit please.”
One more passenger squeezes on,
Mind the doors!

© Mary L Walsh, 2025

 Teenagers On The Train

Egalitarian, flexitarian burst of tartan school skirts
And muscle flexing from the lads
“Sir, look at this.” And small kicks to the back of knees
Talk of Saturday jobs and money woes
Loser signs to friends across the aisle
The “No, you won’t do that now.” Teacher
and sniggering and talking
Gossiping and walking
Pull ups on the handrail
Muscle flexing confidence oozing
Hair flicks and youth and hope of life
beyond the sunrise of possibilities.

© Mary L Walsh, 2025

Connect with Mary on Instagram: @marelwa60

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To finish off, I’d like to share a poem I wrote for Mary:

Mary
sits
on trains
writes words,
songs and
short refrains.
The rattle
on the rails
prevails
entails
the loosening
of pen and
words,
rhymes and
tales.

© Eithne Cullen, 2025

I hope this new theme of ‘Reflections’ helps you think and create clearly. Of course, if you’re inspired to write, please do submit! Enjoy your summer.

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Issue 25, featuring Sheila O’Flanagan, is out now. You will find it in libraries and other outlets. Alternatively, all current and previous editions can be found on our magazines page here. 

You can hear great new ideas, creative work and writing tips on Write On! Audio. Find us on all major podcast platforms, including Apple and Google Podcasts and Spotify. Type Pen to Print into your browser and look for our logo or find us on Spotify.  

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