A Traveller’s Journal: South

(11.6234° N, 92.7265° E)

Away from the daily hassle,

I’ve arrived on this island surrounded by the hues of midsummer

I’ve got a notebook in my hand,

And the list? Rest assured

I’ve cross-checked,

I’m off towards a new destination

With my camera and a fancy backpack

My mind is enthralled

By my desire to proceed

To a place where I’m a stranger

Sometimes, I’m boarding a flight or going by train

And all the time there’s a common trail

Like climbing on the stairs

Step by step,

Walking along the long narrow platform

That I assume to be infinite

All the butterflies in my stomach keep swaying

Palpitation of the rapid heartbeat,

Making me a little anxious

I’m curious to know,

What will happen next

I see some fellow commuters:

All millennials in rush,

Crossing the paths of one another

What a diversity of perspectives

Channeling the same medium,

Either being an idea or an inspiration

I’m sketching the idea of those few,

Who claim that it’s necessary

To escape from the ordinary

And keep this quest going

So I am here, in the ocean’s lair

Where the unsettling transition of silence

Is conversing with me

Wispering in my ear,

In mild frequency

Following me along,

Taking ruffled lapses

This moment is paused forever

Right here, in my visual memory-

“The taste of fresh coconut water

And some seashells I picked from the shore”

I am omniscient of this fact,

Of this amusing feeling

Maybe it’s the sound of the ferry against the direction of the sea

Or the dissipating daunting fear of the depth that resides within me

As one can never be sure of

When this deceitful sea shall turn its tide

The unknown is not startling me anymore

Cause I have anticipated this moment to the core

I’m mesmerized

By this amicable blessing from the divine

I tilt my head back, a little inclined on the glass panel beside

And memorize the serene panoramic view from my eyes:

All of it, in just a flash of few seconds

Got my earplugs on,

While I synchronise my playlist on Spotify

Playing it on a repeat loop,

Then closing my eyes, taking a short nap

And await for the beginning of something beautiful

-Shubhangi Rawat