The Last Tryst At The Station Poem by Rajendran Muthiah

He strolled towards the station
to board the last train to Chennai,
bearing the tearful damsel
in his cut, pierced and hurt heart.
He craved for a lasting break
from the looming killers,
the roaring mores of the castes,
the hooting hot-headed brutes
and the awful, blood-thirsty whispers.

He pushed ahead of the surging crowd,
entered the platform and walked along.
“My God! Who calls out my name? , ”
he turned to left and found the belle
with whom he flew across
the blooming dells and dales,
swam across the vast seas and long rivers,
and soared high over the sky-reaching hills.
The tears flowed down her cheeks
seeing his beaten, pathetic, bruised face.

She called down a curse upon
the racial bigots and casteists.
She patted on his arms where
the bastards battered to break the bones.
Her college-mates thronged around
and snuggled her to hug him fast.
His chest was wet with her raining kisses
and tears shed for the harm she caused him.

The train arrived and her friends
carried her to their reserved coach.
They were to attend a camp in the next city.
I was standing amazed for a while
wondering at the acts of the Heavens above.
The tryst happened at the behest of God
and it was the last, some four decades ago.
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