Fleeting glimpses of rice fields reflecting the late afternoon sun,
soon change to a rocky terrain where I'm sure I see an elephant
amongst the brown and greys.
Triple tiered sleeping boards sway in time with the train.
Top bunk for me which is tricky to navigate
amongst so many people.
The toilet is a hole in the floor where one must squat astride,
to leave man-soil along the tracks.
At least there's a door for privacy.
Sharing a bunch of bananas with my weary traveling companions
sustains me for the twenty hours it takes
until our journey's end.
At three in the morning we arrive, greeted by friends
who press a green lime into our hands along
with a hearty welcome!
I am not exactly sure where I am...
Punam, at dverse poets, has asked us to write about a train journey we have experienced.
Here's the link: Train Poetics
That was some train journey, Carol, and what a joy to see an elephant in its natural habitat! I love the way you set the scene in those ‘fleeting glimpses of rice fields reflecting the late afternoon sun’.
ReplyDeleteIt was a very interesting trip, Kim! Not sure if I would want to repeat it.
DeleteSomething I'm sure I'll never be able to do or see. Thank you so much for sharing this experience.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Debi. I couldn't do it now. I was younger then! :D
DeleteSounds like a fun ride!
ReplyDeleteIt was definitely an experience! ;D
DeleteWhat an immensely fascinating story!!! I cannot imagine a train ride like this one, though I had to do the 'squat toilet thing" at a train station in Tuscany! Elephants delight me, I would have enjoyed this part of the journey. Plus a lime in my hand ~~~~
ReplyDeleteIt was certainly a once in a lifetime experience. I'm not sure what the lime in the hand represented apart from a 'welcome.'
DeleteOh, my! When was that, Carol and you travelled from where? Such an apt and spot on description of train travel in India! An excellent write and obviously I love it.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, the toilets are no longer a hole in the floor now in most trains! 😅
It was 2007. We were traveling from Kakinada down to Chennai. I loved my time in India. :D
DeleteHaving never ridden the train there as an adult, this descriptive poem was eye-opening for me! I would dearly love to know what the lime represented.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure what the lime represented apart from perhaps as a welcome gift [?]
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