Saturday, July 12, 2008

2679

General compartment!
stand,or sit down
on newspaper


chinese scale,
for just ten rupees
pirated dvds,raw mangoes


chutney dribbles
from the vendor's idli basket
everytime he passes by


everyone stares
at everyone else,
an indian habit


nobody seems to mind
the heat,the sweat
the dirt,the tamil songs


playin on his cellphone
as he nods vigorously,
and sings along


two small kids,
their black, beady,
curious eyes


taking in every detail
not looking away,holding
a bold steadfast gaze


in the corner,
a young lady eats
a packed lunch,


curd rice and pickle,
and throws the rest
out of the window,


where paddy fields
and small villages
endlessly rumble past.

10 comments:

Naveen said...

vellore to chennai? :)

Me said...

Graphic :)
do you have a photo blog?

Me said...

Graphic :)
do you have a photo blog?

Ramya said...

@naveen:
yup,actually was written chennai to vellore but same oly :P
@me:
no photo blog :)

Anonymous said...

you really have the gift of painitng with words - i loved the "black, beady,
curious eyes"

as always you finished it with great finesse.

BlandSpice

Anonymous said...

what better description of a train journey! you may or may not stare, but you certainly take in a lot of the world

Schizo Phrenic said...

ah!! train rides in 2nd class compartments are such 1st class journeys in pure opulence of experience

bravo painter with words:-)

Anonymous said...

wonderful!
and you finally titled a poem!! :)

Anonymous said...

got to do with the introduction of middle side berth?

Anonymous said...

UR compartment train journeys...nothing that u wrote have I not experienced and felt...the only way to get back memories is to read them again...in this form...

verrnaice.....