Jordan Lee-Tung and Evan Moore's "Train" begins with a question: was it lonesome riding the subway through the night? From there the poem moves through fear of a tunnel collapse, confusing signals, and the sudden realization of being alone while the train races on. The speaker seems to address someone else, then shifts to "I feel," listing vibration, cramps and nausea. The ride stops being a scene and becomes something happening inside the body.
The imagery is sharp and a little violent. Tunnels are "a spike" and the hills are "impaled," as if the train is piercing the landscape. The last two lines link this to growing up: "Youth changing course" is compared to a train "squealing violently" as it changes station. The poem suggests that change feels loud, uncomfortable and out of one's control. The mood is anxious, isolated and queasy, with a restless rhythm that mimics the rattling ride.