TEARS OF JOY

POEM

Awaiting you at Dadar

I spent the whole night

sitting and dozing somewhere

walking along from one end of the

platform to the other end

through the milling crowd

who had already come

and who kept on pouring into the platform 

like incessant rain

some with their luggages

some waiting to

receive their dear ones

who travel all  the way from Kerala,

and with the train blaring horn

from far away distance

with the anxious relatives 

and friends with their  eyes  shining,

hearts thumping and with many a joy

and news to share

hugging each other

lifting up each other with

rivers of tears of delight flowing down

each other’s faces

and lights shining

up above to display them

in front of the world.

Porters who were sitting

in the corners and playing cards

wake up and run helter-skelter

to have a good day

and cabbies waiting outside for good

rides expecting somebody to call them

for journeys, if possible long distance ones,

God willing.

Though I wandered looking for you

from compartment to compartment

till the last traveler went out

I couldn’t locate you and with sadness

I caught a taxi to the flat and

to my utter surprise and pleasure

you were there awaiting me outside the flat …..

you mischievous pretty girl..

‘Am I enjoying a dream’ – I asked myself

with my eyes gone wide

and you rushing to hug me, hug me, hug me

and trying to lift me up

to the world of ecstasy……