The Railway Lines. Poem by Subhadip Bhattacharya

I remember those of my childhood days
In a remote village on holiday
Winter vacation it was.
Our house was near the railway lines
And in the evening
The freight train would stop for signal.
And one can see the guard's coach at the end.
And I would covet nothing more than to be
In the guard's coach
And cherish looking at the railway lines.

Then the train would slowly start
After getting the signal.
And it was quiet and trees beside the lines
The vast field on one side
And before you know
It was night.

I wouldn't realise then
But now I know that
Those times will never come back again.
And one of those days
I would yearn for the village house we had
But now no more.
And one day I will not be there too
But the memories will be there
Somewhere.

But that serene promise
Hasn't that been met.
In some way in some place
When the sun goes down
And you go back to your place
Yet,
I agree that the soul yearns for more
But in some fleeting moments
In the evening, in the night,
Quietly by your resting place
Yes,
It has been met.