Ashok Niyogi on the Other Side of the
Naked
I have just rushed into the platform,
The huge clock ticks
One more minute away,
I hear the whistle,
But the train does not pull away.
I swim up the current,
Against people who had come
To see people off.
I dodge past parcel luggage
Sleeping with a lone stray dog.
Now the train starts to slide,
I am just fifty feet away,
I increase my speed,
Why do people stare at me so?
I grab at the handrail,
The train gathers speed,
Then its taillights look like eyes,
Why do they stare at me so?
Now I must catch a taxi,
Over tip him to over speed,
Preempt the train at the next station,
And carry on as if nothing happened.
Only, before that,
I must put on some clothes,
I am stark naked!
© Copyright Ashok Niyogi 2006