New Delhi Railway Station
A kaleidoscope of vibrant images of the New Delhi Railway Station.
a train i take after ages,
to write poems by the Ganges.
the great Indian roadshow,
hustle and bustle, to and fro,
varied sights, diverse minds,
colourful clothes of a million kinds.
‘chai piyo, vada khao,
Auntyji, Mummyji, idhar aao.
Chintu, Pintu, arey hato,
Dada, Nani, udhar jao’.
in a carousel, the scenes revolve,
experiences unfold and dissolve.
Bengali, Tamilian, Angrezi, Punjabi,
Garhwali, Hindi, Bihari, Pahadi
the train speeds through my brain,
do you remember this refrain?
‘i think I can, i thought i could’
‘i think I can, i thought i could’
wheels clanking metal and wood
colour and sound always moving
keep me smiling, so very amusing.
people, animals, bags and food,
conversations in assorted moods.
a kaleidoscope, a braid,
a woven cultural brocade.
lives, histories, tales, and stories
of interwoven family glories.
it’s good to get out of your zone,
experience the beauty of a larger home.
drop your conditioning now and again
just take a trip on an Indian train.
the great Indian bazaar, I disclose
taste the experience, really up close.
the New Delhi Railway Station,
an apt example of such a location.
jungle jalebi
The poet expresses sadness at the fall of a great tree that enriched her life with its presence.
tears fall as you fall
in winds that rev up
a mighty squall
all that’s left are the
bereft squirrels and birds
and me who sat in your shade
the cat runs up your huge
sloping trunk, one last time
to flex his muscles
you enriched my life
with your presence
doing nothing, yet so much
i will learn to live
in your absence
my friend, i will miss you
only this time, there is no sorrow
(the jungle jalebi tree, over fifty years old fell in a storm.
our house was originally built around it.)
Rupa Anand is a spiritual seeker and a published writer of experiences. Writing since 2008, her poems are an expression of images, thoughts, ideas, emotions and events that somehow get etched upon her mind and psyche. She says “There is magic in Nature. I hope my poems will connect readers with the beauty and calm of the natural world." Rupa has a BA (Hons) in English Literature from Lady Shri Ram College, University of Delhi. A cancer survivor, she lives in New Delhi with her husband, daughter and beloved cats.