Sublime Abandon--Two Word Challenge

The kids sit on the floor, waiting for the C gauge train to circle around them on its track. Several of the children have red bandanas and blue stripped engineer hats on. One boy is wearing his grandfather's real conductor's hat. I have been teaching a whole unit on railroad songs--John Henry, I've Been Working, Casey Jones, The Train Says No, Peanut on the Railroad Track, My Old Hen, Wabash Cannonball, New River Train, Ho Boys Can't Ya Line 'Em, The Wreck of the Old 97-- the whole array of the historical songs about railroading suitable for first, second and third graders. One wall is covered with the children's art work about John Henry, and Casey Jones, created in the art room across the hall. Old photos Xeroxed out of my coffee table railroad book cover the opposite wall. The blackboard has colored chalk drawings of two vintage steam engines, courtesy of a couple of talented fifth grade volunteers. The chairs are pushed back to the wall, and the children crowd around me seated on a stool with a banjo on my knee. As I start to strum the tune, we throw back our heads, and with sublime abandon, we become the railroad workers lining out the track. With sublime abandon, we're John Henry. With sublime abandon, we're on that New River Train. And with sublime abandon, Casey Jones and we are one. And one last time we sing and relive the Wreck of the Old 97 with sublime abandon.