POET’S EYE
-
Neelam Saxena Chandra (India)
I board
the train.
Despite
the scenery being so beautiful
On this
route, I have lost interest.
I don’t
even peep out of the window.
I don’t look
for the “VadaPaav” vendors at Karjat.
One of
the vendors comes inside the train,
But my
mouth isn’t watering.
It’s just
another incident for me now.
I am
hurt. Extremely hurt.
I am not
showing it, but there’s another void created.
It’s dark
inside as well as outside, though it’s not night.
I realize
that the train has entered the tunnel.
The
darkness gets eliminated, as the train
Leaves
the long tunnel behind…
Is my
hurt like that tunnel?
I sit and
ponder.
Yes, the
hurt that I’ve felt is like that tunnel
That
makes me look only at the darkness.
For the
train, the driver can pull it out of the tunnel,
But for
myself, I have to take the driver’s seat!
I glance
at the “VadaPaav” vendor, who has come again,
I buy two
pieces; look at them with watery tongue,
And put
them inside my mouth one by one,
Savoring
every bit of the delicious “VadaPaav”…
Life has
to move on.
The hurt
will also soon be a thing of the past.
I smile
and watch the scenes outside
With my
poet’s eye!
****