THE STATION-BENCH

Hunchbacked by a giant bag-pack

I trodded over the cobblestones.

Invited by a lonely bench at a corner,

I sat to rest my tired bones.

Before me lay the serpents of iron

Extending beyond where the eye could see.

Yes I was perched upon a platform

While the railway tracks stretched to infinity.

Water fountains, book stores, canteens and tea stalls-

I had everything I could possibly need.

Even if for a short while, I felt like a guest

Who was very well catered to by the host indeed.

And there were hundreds more like me,

Trudging with their baggages over the pathway,

Waiting patiently to embark on a journey-

for work, pleasure, education or just a getaway.

The newly-wed bride bound for her new home,

Or the suited-up corporate heading for a deal;

From the curious kid to the sleepy grandma,

Diverse emotions simmered within these pillars of steel

Trains came by, whistling and rumbling,

With yet more travelers, peeping from the ledge.

Some got down, elated to be home;

Some got on, anxious about their new voyage.

In a world where everyone is always on the go,

Would it hurt to halt and take a minute off ?

A static moment in a dynamic life,

To just sit on a lonely bench before the next take-off.

A humble shelter, sometimes decked up,

To caress you a little until its time to depart;

A joint where myriad travelers' paths cross

A railway station sure does much more than you thought!