Parallel Lines Poem by Shankaran Kutty

I embarked on a journey long
Just me and me alone
By the rivers, lakes and the countryside
Which spread like a carpet, finely sewn

Chuk chuk, chuk chuk, chugged along
Like a long black serpent, my train
And often would the whistle wail
As if it was in pain

I befriended the engine driver soon
And in the engine, hitched a ride.
By the burning coals I stood that day
The driver by my side.

Flashed before my eyes so quick
Hills, vales and meadows green
Grazing cows and flocks of sheep
Most beautiful sights I ever had seen

Then laid out before me I saw
Shimmering in the summer heat
The railway tracks that run in parallel
Always together, but never destined to meet

They together sweat the summer heat
And together gets buried in snow
Yet the soothing touch of a friend so near
Is something they will never know

Together bear the summer gale
And gets pelted by the monsoon rain
Yet a helping hand is always beyond
To see them through the pain

They creak and groan each every time
Huffs and Puffs each passing train
Yet to stay apart and suffer alone
Is those lonely tracks’ wistful bane

Lost in thoughts over the parallel tracks
We sped past many a mile
Such a mundane thought to fill my heart
It has been quite a while

Oft it is in our journey of life
With our friends, a lover or mate
We take the same path, and travel far
Yet to stay apart is our fate

Life’s journey we might travel
Together, side by side
Yet a painful gap that we can’t bridge
For we find it is too wide

Highs and lows, through rocks and thorns
On a lonely or crowded street
The twists and turns we take together
Yet, our hearts oft fail to meet

Together in joy, together in sorrow
Together in peace or war
Yet that little breach we find betwixt us
Is a breach that is just too far

But if we dig deep and true
Into our hearts we will find
That gap we thought we never could bridge
Is just a state of our mind

If we conquer hate and fill with love
Swallow our ego and pride
That little gap we will find we can bridge
With the traveller by our side

A smile, a touch, a sorry, a hug
And we will see the early signs
With a little effort of our heart and mind
Will get to meet, those parallel lines