Ghost Train RadioPaulinskill Telegraph
Old rail tracks
Covered in weeds
An old telegraph
Frozen in time
Abandoned viaduct
One hundred foot tall
Stands Erie, ghostlike
Lackawanna Line
Its been so long
Like an old telegram
Or an old photograph
Sent to me in time
Reminding me of
Adventurous days
Childhood scenes
Adolescent haze
I've been floating
On a sea of dreams
Looking back at
Yesterdays schemes
I'm not one
To reminisce
But for now
It feels like bliss
To my pleasant surprise – reminiscing about where I grew up in Sussex County, NJ has opened up a new gold mine “vein” song wise. These songs are very direct, very simple but straight from my heart. I’m just so thankful for a rich and fun childhood.
Yesterday’s song came to me because I wanted to remember way back – when life was care free – and just looking out our front window up at Windy Brow Farms in Fredon, NJ was a daily thing. I’m very pleased to report that they are still in business and by the looks of it – doing better than ever. In fact – their ice cream, pizzas, baked goods (and of course apples) – sure look great. SO happy for them.
Coincidentally – I also received an email from “Weird NJ” – and they had a beautiful photo of the old Paulinskill Viaduct – which is also still there. There are even YouTube videos of people climbing on it like we did in High School. I used to visit a friends house near Paulinskill Lake and we found an old railroad telegraph shack filled with old telegrams. Some idiot kids set some on fire – but I do remember my friend and I reading some and marveling that they were just left there for years.
I’m just past the 4 week mark after total knee replacement surgery, and while I’m doing great by all accounts – this surely is major surgery – its a real ordeal . . . . I’m hoping to get past the fatigue where I need an afternoon nap and where I go to bed at 8 PM.
I’ve tried hard not to reminisce too much – but that was probably a bad idea – because what I am finding is that not only are these songs more heartfelt – I’m starting to really understand how to write a melody that matches my lyrics better and also its helping me think about what I want to do next with my life – which has been a bit of a conundrum I’ve had since maybe February – I’ve lost any ideas for what I want to do next in my life.
Now that I think of it – reminiscing is fine – but getting melancholy or maudlin (missing those old times) is what I want to stay away from. And for me – they are just fun, bright good memories – something I think we all can use these days, eh?
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