Traveled a storyteller from afar It was a chance meeting with him Was at the bistro so desolate Could hear the fork and knives speak Tried striking up a conversation With the lonely lad But he wasn't interested much Just finished supper in solitude Ordered a steaming cup of coffee Suddenly the weather turned grim I could hear the clouds roar In mood to add to the dreariness Flashes of lightning lit up the street I could see a faint silhouette Walking towards the bistro The man at the counter busy Cleaning the crockery and plates Faint music playing in the vinyl Dark and dim added to the slowness As if time stood still A weary traveler enters the bistro Not even a glance towards anyone Walked up straight to the counter He carried a strange backpack A man of about late sixty Tall and strong built Ruffled hair and heavy boots Faded clothes and cigar smokes The whole place now smelled of him He placed the order and sat down quiet His face hid from the cigar smoke He was almost in a meditative mode I watched him for sometime Then, went towards his table He was courteous but spoke few I asked him, “Where are you from?” He said, “I am from distant land.” He named not the place But he was a storyteller He carried the burden so heavy Stories he had to carry for years He didn't know how to write But he had a marvelous memory He remembered each and every detail And he was a raconteur famed First time he visited this town He picked up stories from various lands Which he narrated on demand He ate slowly and chatted with me Wasn't aware of the heavy downpour The man had a magnetic effect I didn't realize, we spoke for long A tell tale sign he was the master narrator I, for long was mesmerized We spoke through the night Listening to his various tales Transfixed, I listened like a child At the break of dawn I realized how long it has been We had morning coffee together And could see his face clearly His eyes looked through me Rested on some distant place Which he left behind I asked, “How long you have been traveling?” He said, “Since the time I was a young man.” Some unsaid grief his eyes spoke Which were not there in the tales He finished his coffee And thanked me for the company I asked, “Where do you intend to travel?” He said, “I do not know.” He has been on the road for long And he bade me goodbye With a faint smile He walked away