The Train Poem by Jasbir Chatterjee

The Train

Rating: 3.8


The train is running
Through the fields, the forests, and the deserts…
So close to the earth and yet,
An intrinsic part of the society.
Full of people with all sorts of shades of character,
uttering words that could mean nothing, and yet everything…

The train is running,
Through the fields, the forests, and the deserts…
So close to the earth,
Giving me such a frightening sense
Of having a home and yet,
Being so homeless;

The train is running
Through the fields, the forests, and the deserts…
So close to the earth,
Giving me a sense of destination and yet being so displaced;
Of being among so many people laughing, singing, joking, and dancing and
Yet, not knowing whom to trust, whom not to, whom to believe, whom not to.

Monday, March 27, 2006
Topic(s) of this poem: trains
POET'S NOTES ABOUT THE POEM
This poem was written during my train journey from Bangalore to Delhi in 1993. I was a newly-married woman at that time.
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
C. P. Sharma 26 May 2009

It reads like Night Mail by Auden with the music of its own. CP

1 0 Reply
Amitava Chakrabarty 02 January 2010

The dichotomy within the train is displayed with prudence.

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Akhtar Jawad 21 July 2014

It is a beautiful poem, I very much liked it.

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Rajnish Manga 09 March 2015

The initial part of the poem is kind of reassurance that the train which traverses different geographical regions as well as the lot of travellers is part of one larger society. Part two of the poem brings contrasting sentiments on board the train- some positive, some outright negative. This is human nature. I have enjoyed reading this poem which has so many moods in it.

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shruti rai 09 April 2006

superb..very well done.Its not just limited to a train journey but also the journey of life...'being among a crowd and yet being alone'.well done.

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Dr Dillip K Swain 14 December 2022

Giving me a sense of destination and yet being so displaced; Of being among so many people laughing, singing, joking, and dancing and Yet, not knowing whom to trust.....wonderful expression. A brilliant poem dear poetess.

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Shailendra Negi 10 May 2022

Mam you are great. Every words had a deep means itself. I have readed all your poems. You are amazing writer.

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Unnikrishnan E S 03 May 2016

The train is running through the fields, the forests and the deserts So close to earth ... so many people... Yet not knowing whom to trust, whom not to, whom to believe, whom not to.. Beautiful lines. Very true about life as well. Excellently worded. Loved to read it. Brings back the nostalgic memories of the innumerable, unforgettable train journeys between Pune and Kerala, Andhra and Kerala and then Delhi and Kerala.

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Dev Anand 03 May 2016

So close to the earth, Giving me a sense of destination and yet being so displaced; Of being among so many people laughing, singing, joking, and dancing and Yet, not knowing whom to trust, whom not to, whom to believe, whom not to. from the train you came to human trust and daily struggles of life. as a newly married woman a reader can understand your thoughts very well in the train... thank you for this poem .

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Subhas Chandra Chakra 15 April 2016

A nice journey though Indian tracks. The Train journey In our country can render such a sense of homeliness and homelessness simultaneously. Such a journey gives us restlessness at times and meaninglessness at some others. A nice poem for reading. I enjoyed it. Thanks.

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