Abhimanyu Majhi
Hi, hello, joyful happy journey
Excitation surreal is in the air,
Creating such an energy field around,
The first time we get on the train.
On board, we meet our folks,
Believing they will be there till the end.
At some station, when they deboard,
With emptiness, we continue forward.
Anyway, for the sake of a joyful ride,
Our parents offered the best they had,
Gave inspiration until the final whistle,
Promising to meet on the next ride, if at all.
As the journey proceeds, others join:
Brothers, sisters, friends, and foes—
So-called lifelong companions too,
As motion gains its gentle pace.
Alu puri, dal makhani, and fried rice
Shared among strangers alike.
Eyes short of tears when they depart,
Leaving vacant seats and memories behind.
Some step down, leaving a vacuum,
Missed till the last stoppage and beyond.
Some join for just one station,
Yet leave a permanent dent behind.
Occasional chaos may twist the bend,
Abruptly when the journey comes to an end.
Up above, when He pulls the chain,
Separation adds to misery then.
This journey forces us to seek
The reason for individual existence—
Insufficiency or abundance of life,
Mere playthings of God’s grand design.
Disjointed journeys across space,
Completed at their own pace—
Never too late, never too soon,
Until merged with one’s solace.
Pictures flash through the window,
Of people who left us long ago.
As their distant memories echo,
What, when, how—we shall never know.
History tells us at the hour of RIP,
Frost too mused about The Trip:
“Miles to go before I sleep,
Miles to go before I sleep.”
-Kurseong, Darjeeling
