How to write on trains

I don't usually write poetry, but this came to me after trying to write on a train on a particularly bumpy trip, when all I had was a notepad and pen. Hope you enjoy :).

I have my notebook at the ready.
Now, if only the ride could be steady
My work would be on one line and not
Up and down and full of ink blots.

I thought I would use this journey to write,
But instead of simply left to right,
The words are now all over the show
Often in a language I don’t know.

I’ve done my best through rickety trips,
Clattering over rails, and up and down dips,
But my pen is all over the page in a mess.
Perhaps not my best idea, I confess.

So, this is my advice to writers on trains
Who need every bit of time they attain:
Write all you like, but follow this creed
Don’t write anything you’re hoping to read!

The train and the writer

I'm on a train today, heading up to England's capital of London. The snack trolley has just gone past and the aroma of strong coffee is swirling about the carriage making me wish I'd bought one.

My favourite trick when I'm on a train, even when I've been on the journey several times before, is to stare out of the window. I don't know what I'm looking for. I'm pretty sure the trees and buildings won't have changed that much from the last trip, and the rail network is unlikely to have decided to reroute the railway lines so I get a different view each time. Still, as standard, me on a train equals me looking out the window.

Today is different. Today I have my NetBook. And more than that. I've actually got the NetBook out!! (Cue stunned gasps.)