Flower Fields — Samantha Armbrust
A train leaves the station and my eyes are open
I see the fields around me
and I struggle to know why they’re so vast
I drop onto the floor as the train speeds up
and I lay back down as it slows
The people around me are changing
I blink
and a man’s blue coat is now purple
I can see the tiredness in the lady next to me
Her eyes sag as she touches up her makeup
How have I not noticed?
I’m never really there anymore
I can feel the train speed up and slow down as I sit in my seat
but it feels like I’ve drifted away from it
still see the man in the red coat and the woman with the cake in her purse
She’s cleaned up and realized she only needs to carry it
I’ve moved train cars
and now I know why the fields are so vast
I see new people now
a child with a yellow raincoat and boots
and a man dressed in business casual with a blue bowtie
I can still see the man and the woman from the other car
The man with the bow tie has starting wearing a black tie now
and so has the little boy
Every day
he wears little brown pants, a dress shirt,
and the tie that makes him think he’s going to get the job
The man with the red coat has gotten off my train and walked through the fields
The woman with the cupcake in her purse now sits next to me every day
I missed her
The train is traveling at a pace that never seems consistent for long
I’m sick and can’t get out of my seat to say hi to anyone on the train
They wave and give gifts to avoid the fact that the train has accelerated
I’m not afraid of what’s to come anymore
The train is now going full speed
and all that’s left of the women next to me is her cupcake
I hope to see her soon
One man sits with me day and night
and recalls the times when he would wear his little yellow boots
The other is two cars away with a new life, trying to forget me
My train has stopped and I’m about to walk outside
I say my goodbyes and wish to see everyone again
I walk the same path the red coat did and think of how to greet him in the flower fields
I dream that everything will be better
Some people will leave the train
and some won’t
Either way,
I hope they wish to see me in the flower fields
Samantha Armbrust is a sophomore in Central Pennsylvania who plays percussion in the marching band, sings in the choir, and participates in numerous school clubs. In her free time outside of school she enjoys art, poetry, music, skiing, and maximizing her time outdoors. After graduating she hopes to travel abroad and to study urban design.