The Lonely Traveller (Narrative Poem)
The horizon was far and out of sight,
The lonely traveler slept in the desert and gazed into the starry night.
The air seemed cold and chill
“Life seemed hard and sad”, he thought.
He had lost track of the caravan he saw a few days back.
His favorite camel sat beside him with his merchandise in a big brown
sack.
A dry-fruit seller by trade,
He wandered on the mountains and sand dunes unafraid.
“Afraid of what”, he thought.
His own life was an avalanche of tragedies
But who could unravel life’s mysteries?
His eyes glistened with tears
As he began to question his own fears.
He traveled for miles and miles,
His face a contrast of tears and empty smiles.
He reached an unknown city to seek solace and peace.
A few days later he saw the caravan dwellers,
A band of happy-go-lucky and merry revelers.
Among the voices and cheerful laughter,
He saw the lovely lady with blue eyes.
Wasn’t she his long-lost daughter?
Tears of joy and apprehension flowed down the old trader’s cheeks,
How in this war-ravaged nation could he justice seek?
He approached the caravan dwellers with trepidation,
They all eyed him with suspicion.
A civilized stranger was not too welcome in their gypsy band,
The old trader reached out for his daughter’s hand.
“Beat him up,” shouted one of the revelers,
“He’s a scoundrel, he’s come to kidnap her,” shouted the other
“She’s my long-lost daughter,” pleaded the old trader.
“You expect us to believe your tales,” shouted their leader.
“Take him to the city jail,” shouted old the trader’s daughter.
The old trader’s body lay in jail all fettered,
Nothing in the world now really mattered.
In his unconsciousness, he cherished memories of his long-lost daughter,
As tears trickled down his weather-beaten face,
The old trader left this world without any trace.
