Madurai To Nellai By Bus Poem by Indira Renganathan

So much excitement over a bus ride
Had experiences though in my teens
Long after now from northern side
Madurai to Nellai southward on wheels

Colourfully odoured the bus-terminus at Madurai
Trying a faster pace myself behind husband
Roamed around sufficiently the many sundry
Caught the bus finally, me in pushed

Almost a bare bus.Thanked God
Possibly my teen bus was now stale
However felt jolly; Hubby too did
After decades old couple enjoying quite hale

The running bus metrically jolted us
Lapping meteoric curvetures shortly curtly
My musical mind enjoyed the meters
Hubby, his usual self of berating loudly

My usual self shirked him
Slicked a little aside
Evening crept in with a prayer hymn
Hubby, dozed with a slight slide

Night came yet not our destination
Started counting the stars seen out
Slowly fell asleep dreams woven
So far nowhere did the bus halt

Steadily whirred and whirred
Somewhere at the depth were we asleep
A sudden break, a sonorous horn stirred
Kovilpatti did the bus stop

There did I first fuss disturbed
Nudged me a vendor with a cut cucumber
' Nothing has yet changed 'I opined
'Since my teen time older'

Civics cremated by those vendors
Better to be cautious not to be diseased
Hubby got out of the bus
Just to be uncaged a while indeed

Our trip intermitted only once just
Happy hubby couldn't get out often
Lest would be mine a pulsating heart
Waiting in search off and on

So was our rare experience
Like some people sometimes try out
'A sovereign thrill of one's independence'
Safe at our Nellai such we felt