Connections
The Delhi train stopped
unexpectedly at Karagpur.
Young boys ran along the platform
with earthenware cups of sweet tea.
‘Chai! Chai!’ echoed
through the compartments.
Gazing idly out, I found myself
looking into the window
of a bungalow.
A young girl was holding
a glass of water for
a frail old man whose
skin was like ancient,
worn parchment
through which I watched
the water trickling
down his throat.
The child softly combed
his hair and washed each foot
with great tenderness
from a battered silver urn.
The train slowly pulled
out of the station.
Sarah Das Gupta is a writer from Cambridge, UK who has lived and taught in India, Tanzania and UK. She began writing aged 80, after a disabling accident. She has recently been nominated for Best of the Net, the Pushcart and a Dwarf Star.