Poetry: Srijoni Ghosh

Srijoni Ghosh

The Evening Train

I stare into the even black gaps between the sleepers 

Purple rays obliquely fall over them, 

Heralding the arrival of

 The Evening Train.

The commotion around pauses magically.

A sharp melodramatic cry,-

A slight tremor in the stones,-

And then it comes rushing, bringing with it a metallic uproar.

My restless eyes hurriedly wander about

Scrutinizing every compartment-

I spot him in the last one, standing in amaranthine glory,

An exuberant presence against the grey of the carriage, 

Like a beam of sunshine emerging from rows of dark clouds.

The wind makes his tie fly, eyes squinting, hair muffled, 

I stand there - a lightning struck statue

As he becomes smaller & smaller & finally fades into the mauve sky.

The grey of the carriage morphs into a deep black point far, far away.

A breeze mixed with his perfume disturbs my reverie 

And breathes life into the scenery.

The barred gate stands up once more, making way for the crowds.

And all there's left in front of me now is a black velvety night

But I stand still,

Waiting by the crossing,

Waiting for the Evening Train.

***

Bio: Srijoni Ghosh is an aspiring teenage writer who expresses herself through her works. Pablo Neruda, and Shakespeare are her greatest poetry inspirations. She mainly loves to write about psychological topics, societal conditions and human relationships and about the complex human character.

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Setu, December 2024

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