The journey acquaints the traveler,
With roads narrow and wide.
As they bend and curve; swivel and swirl,
They take him places near and far.
At times they teach him,
The lessons of walking;
Rugged they maybe- giving him a furious fight,
Smooth they may turn out to be- proving it’s not so difficult all the while.
As smooth seas never made skilled sailors,
All the bumps, bends and brakes;
Make him balance his staid.
Fast ways never meant the destination was any nearer.
He sees the sun strike a silent slumber;
Worried, if he’ll never make it;
But the road roars,
Of the drawing destination.
So he beats on, mindfully marching to make the future his present;
Milestones moving by his side, painting pictures of proximity.
(Mannat Arora, based in Ludhiana, India, is a penultimate year student of Bachelors of Law at Panjab University. Winner of a national-level poetry competition, she strongly considers literature to be a food for the soul. She is a university topper. She spends most of her time in her library or in the backyard playing with her dog)