That old lady
Every afternoon
Climbed the spiral stair
With same strain and struggle rare.
Little cell in one hand
And the stick in another
Ne'er failed she, ne'er missed the time
She called someone o'er there.
The younger ones
In the family
Curious did they become
To watch this with glee.
Day by day it repeated
Just before the goods train passed
She ascended the stair
Unaware that somebody watching her.
The members other
They wondered
In this age
Affair, another!
One afternoon
As she came down
Phone in hand,they caught her
Marks of doubt in faces there.
'Tell us, tell us, grandma dear',
They demanded,
'Is it clandestine
Or an old affair'?
'Do you think so',
Smiled the lady,
'It's neither clandestine,
Nor any affair it be.
'Listen, all of you, oh dear
It's for my elder sister
Who lives in the town afar
Amidst the honk and horns of the car.
'She prefers though
The drops of the rain
And yes of course
The whistle of the train.
In our childhood
A mile long run we would
To watch the train
Whistling in a happy mood.
Return we to those days gone
Though it be o'er the phone.
The roar of the whistle, the wheel's roar
Let us meet one's more.'
Poet's Bio: Soumik Kumar De, a bilingual poet as well as a flash fiction writer prefers to write on discursive theme. His poems have been anthologized in various national and international collections , journals and e- magazines like Setu, The Indian Rover, INNSAEI, Aulos, Caravan, Collegiality to mention a few. Beside writing he also likes to spend his pastimes by painting portraits and playing guitar. His paintings have also been highly acclaimed in various national and international books.
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