The Other Side of the Track Poem – Love, Differences, and What Happens When We Can’t Meet in the Middle
- Deborah Ann Martin
- Nov 1
- 3 min read
Love Can Exist… Even When We Can’t Cross the Tracks
I wrote The Other Side of the Track during a time when I was separated from my ex-husband. It was a season filled with questions, confusion, and grief. We loved each other — that was never the issue — but love alone wasn’t enough to overcome our differences.
In our case, the track between us symbolized lifestyle choices, priorities, and values.
I wanted family time. He wanted to stop by the bar. I wanted memories at soccer games and playgrounds. He wanted adult fun and a drink with friends.
We both tried.
He’d show up to some of the kid things but preferred to be home.
I’d go to the bar occasionally but wasn't a drinker.
It didn’t mean we didn’t love each other.
It meant we couldn’t live in the same world.
Eventually, the effort faded. And so did the marriage.
This poem was my way of processing the kind of slow death a relationship faces when compromise turns into distance and distance turns into goodbye.
The Other Side of the Track
He lived on one side of the track
She lived on the other side
The track lies between
Their right hand, joined by love
They’re left with uncommon interests
Both try to tug on the other
Over the tracks to their side
Yet neither manages
Both longing to be together
Touching but always alone
After years of struggling
Both stop trying
After years of struggling
Both start dying
He died on one side of the track
She died on the other side
The track lies between
Their right hand joined by love
They’re left by uncommon interests
From Love and Heartache Moments: Healing Poems After Divorce and Breakups
Part of the Life Moments Series
© 2025 Deborah Ann Martin. All rights reserved.
Reflection on The Other Side of the Track Poem
This poem may be short, but it speaks to so many relationships that die slowly not from betrayal, but from mismatch.
We often hear that "love conquers all," but the truth is:
Love needs space to grow, not just to survive in tension.
When two people live completely different lives, it’s like standing on opposite sides of a train track. You can see each other. You can reach for each other. But you're never fully with each other.
This poem is a reminder that if you love someone, yes, make an effort. Try. But also, don’t lose yourself trying to cross into a world that isn’t yours.
And if you're in that place now, ask:
Are you still walking together, or just reaching across the tracks? Can you cross over onto the other side without losing your identity, your values, and morals? Can they also come to your side and learn to enjoy what you love to enjoy? Compromise and sharing moments together no matter which side of the track is most fulfilling, both can share.
The Style Behind the Words
Poetry Style Name: Symbolic Free Verse
Structure and Form: 17 lines, no fixed meter or rhyme, visual symmetry between stanzas
Tone: Melancholy, reflective, restrained
Poetic Devices:
Symbolism: The track = emotional and lifestyle divide
Repetition: "After years of struggling" and "The track lies between" emphasize time and distance
Contrast: “Right hand joined by love / left by uncommon interests”
Theme: Love without alignment, emotional distance, slow relationship death
Reading Level: 6th grade and up — accessible yet deeply layered
Explore More Love and Heartache Moments
If this poem moved you, there’s so much more in the book Love and Heartache Moments: Healing Poems After Divorce and Breakups. This collection walks through the real emotions behind falling in love, losing it, and finding yourself again.
It’s raw, relatable, and real.
About the Life Moments Series
This poem is part of my Life Moments Series, which explores the beauty, heartbreak, and growth we experience in everyday life.
Each book in the series captures different themes — love, heartbreak, parenting, joy, childhood, and more.
You can read more poetry or explore all of my books
References
Love and Heartache Moments: Healing Poems After Divorce and Breakups, Deborah Ann Martin, 2025.
Deborah Ann Martin Amazon Author Central Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/deborahamartin
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