Alankar(Decor)-150 Poem by Indira Renganathan

A Train's Night Journey(Ottava Rima)

Ottava Rima or Sonnetto Rispetto, is:
A fast narrative.
Stanzaic, written in any number of octaves.
Metered, most often iambic pentameter sometimes tetrameter.
Rhymed, Rhyme scheme is abababcc.
Best for blending serious and satirical attitudes.
Composed with the final couplet that sums up and brings a twist
Or enlightenment to the content of the stanza.
the Ottava Rima is a narrative and is most often
written in more than one octave.


A Train's Night Journey

In urged haste it gluts its obese crowding
Kicking up its first breath whistles its drag
Slow huffs-puffs to tadak-tadaks speeding
Runs on rails with modesty of its brag
Oscillating bogies on fear-brooding
Of a lurking colleague in crossing lag
While benighted green breeze takes to refuge
In sleeping minds of varied colours huge

Going thus the train with pause then and there
A maze of moon glitters along its way
Passing midnight in somewhat gloomy scare
A cautious force tows the train fast right way
Cheered tadak-tadaks, tadak-tadaks flare
When rouged sky streaks an arc of a heyday
Dawning minds breathe in breezing greens' rebirth
And the halting train kicks out its last breath