Going back

The flames leapt up eagerly,

The reddish orange tongues of flame

Protruding out like that of a snake,

Hissing,

eager to feel the touch of cold flesh.

The hot air,

Propagating forward in a blast,

Impatient to wrap around

and cuddle.

As we placed him on the trolley

for his final journey,

his moment of assimilation

back into the elements;

was it imagination playing on the mind

that made me see his lips stretch into a smile?

The smile that said it all-

Of his success,

In battles big and small,

For ninety years of his life.

Author: gdutta17

Born in the year 1968, my childhood was spent amidst the beautiful scenic landscape of a small town in India, Ranchi. Though an engineer by qualification, reading, writing and cooking are my passions. Another thing that I am passionate about is my country, India. As they say, a lifetime is probably not enough to explore the whole of India. Currently based in Kolkata, I can be reached at gdutta17@gmail.com. View all posts by gdutta17