Alone Poem by Ramesh Iyengar

Alone
Stretching about a kilometre,
Wide, with margosa trees on either sides,
Srivilliputtur railway station is wonderful.
Too vacant all the day, deserted, alone.
Just a few trains arrive, depart, each day
Halt there in impatience, for a few minutes,
Only to journey north to Madras
or to Kerala in the south.
When trains leave, not a ghost stays.
But, beggars, gypsies, coolies and stray dogs
occupy its vast platforms.
Just an anaconda goods train wakes them up,
blasting loud horns, rattling of wheels,
dirt, heat and smoke, at late nights. Later,
everyone and the railway station
fall to noisy sleep again.
- - S. Ramesh