West Coast Express: 5 hours late
Chaiya, Chaiya
Lokmanya Tilak Express: 20 minutes late
Kaapi, Kaapi
Sooda Badam paal
The sounds of Salem station are
The whiff of childhood journeys
Absent, now, though, is
The kudharai vandi
On the fairy-tale platform
To take us home
To Thatha Patti
As we disembarked sleepy-eyed
From the Bombay train