Train Journey

I wrote this while traveling on a train in India, from Madras to Bangalore (or Bangalore to Madras), sometime in December. I love train journeys, especially in India. You keep the door open, sit on the foot steps, with a cup of chai in hand, and maybe some peanuts, and watch the world go by, as the landscape alternates between farm, desolate countryside, and bustling little towns about whose inhabitants and their lives you always wonder about.

Train Journey
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Where the wind always blows, and the world goes by
Fields of emerald, and houses that fly
Villages and towns, and wilderness that flees
I sip my tea, and watch with glee

Time flows like a brook, crystal clear
And slows down, from time to time.
A shepherd boy herds his goats in a line
The sky darkens, like a child crouched in fear

The stars open their sleepy eyes
And twinkle with delight at their friends
A faint strain of music wafts by
For which over the soothing click-clack I lend

Eventually, like light at the end of the tunnel, I see
With the screech of the wheels and the wail of the horn
Loved ones meet and greet with ecstacy
Recognition and smiles their faces do adorn.

The sights and sounds are a treat for me
Hues and tones that tickle the mind
A voyear maybe but just a role
As I enjoy my train journey.

-Sridhar Rajagopal