Burlington Route

Everywhere west:
this is the motto you lived by
& to this day your ancestors
have stood by your words
without many signs of wavering.
As one of your iron horses
crosses over this district line,
emitting one of its most
vocal laments known to man,
as it weaves & winds its way
over unchartered terrain,
you know that your work
is never done, never fully complete.
Sure, it lives on by another name
but in the end it is all you:
there is no mistaking your mission
from anyone else's.

Over hills, valleys, rivers,
cutting across the open prairies,
the journey westward for you
was sometimes a stretch,
sometimes a struggle
but when all was said & done
you answered the call
& delivered like none other.
Your namesakes feel for you
as much as they have
who knows how many good things
to say about your legacy,
the history you made on this route:
no doubt, you have endured
& your work still lives on,
finding ways to continue despite,
in spite of the worst that might
come your way.

As your Zephyrs on the Transcon
crossed the Great River
you knew you were destined
for great things & to this day
your route has taken on
a life of its own,
which no other could compare to.
Of all the iron highways
anyone could travel, yours alone
in the end was worth each mile,
each crossing, each climb
or descent into unchartered territory.
And for that your name
should never be discredited.