Bagmati Railway Station Poem by santhosh kana

Bagmati Railway Station

Rating: 4.3


Every ghat is a train station
With the smoke of an announcement
The river is the train of eternity
The platform of separation, the goodbye
The pain of many and the many of pain
The seeing off
The faces aghast at the surprise of the unknown

The emptiness of the platform
The fire within and without
The unseen baggage
The journey of no return
The burnt ticket
It is all Time;
the Seer off will be seen off
Here on this platform is the journey to the unseen, to the unknown destination.

The tear decked cheeks
The waving hands of the inevitable
The reminder of your turn
The futile wait of a return

Be at the ghat and you feel the flutter of birds in flight
Into the infinite
You can see fear and futility in a whiff of smoke and a heap of ash
So many like you depart here
On their lonely journey
This is the station where we meet, part and depart
This is the ghat to the unknown

Thursday, March 26, 2015
Topic(s) of this poem: philosophical
COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Shraddha Gautam 22 April 2015

My favourite :)

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Daniel Brick 09 April 2015

This is a brilliant poem. The tone is respectful and measured which makes the understated grief much more honest and powerful. You use noun phrases very well to illustrate Indian death customs which are so different from western burial practices. But your poem also shows the universality of grief and confusion all human beings feel about death, regardless of our differing customs. I was very moved by this poem. Its honesty is equalled by its respect.

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Rajnish Manga 27 March 2015

Every ghat is a railway station. What an imagery! ! I have seen and had similar feelings myself (though it was not at Bagmati ghat) . I like it. Thanks.

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