Mumbai, its Mumbai
A city, Mumbai
Its name was Bombay;
But was turned into Mumbai,
The drys strats here at 40’clock.
And ends a 1’O clock
What a busy life the Mumbaities lead got
The rich and the poor
Today there is stirke,
Tomorrow there is a bandh,
Something or the other happens;
Success comes to a few
But those who fail another opportunity.
To try their luck agains
Sorrow come first,
But happiness is next, It is Mumbai
Which is the Best.
I
The sun
sinking slowly behind
Walkeshwar;
Giant tetrads under me,
storing between them
the garbage of the city;
Hawkers plying their ware
to unflinching couples;
Waves-
lapping gently at the shoreline;
The silent, patient fisherman-
awaiting a pull on his line;
The reverent Parsee,
bowing before the sun;
Birds in flight,
returning to the mainland;
Teenagers, couples, loners,
children, old persons-
walking, just walking along the Drive;
these I have often seen!
II
The wind-
caressing my cheeks and ruffling my hair;
Cars speeding past-
screeching horns;
A servant walking the family dog;
Coconut-shells and corn-ears,
bobbing gently with the tide;
Urchins-
gathering refuse from among the rocks;
A young man-
jogging past at this late hour;
An old man taking a skinny-dip
(in these dirty waters?!!)
Clouds drifting past, endlessly-
beckoning the night sky!
Beggars, imploring,
tapping my shoulder, arm outstretched;
A lone ship
anchored afar, visible thru’ thesmog;
Serene sea-watchers’ faces,
seen in the windows of posh, seaside flats;
A crab, scurrying past me, foraging for food;
I wonder-
Will these EVER change?
III
Darkness
stealthily creeps in;
Neon-lights go up
in a colourful display;
The fly-over
comes alive as lamps light up;
The bewitching Queen’s necklace-
enthralls!
Traffic lessens,
couples leave-
The fisherman draws in the line,
and collecting his wares and his ‘ haul ‘,
departs;
Countless windows light up
and the tide comes in;
Waves crashing, breaking,
resigning their force to the shore;
Moonrise-
expected, yet still unseen;
Waters-
darkening, rippling;
Distant sands at Chowpatty-
floodlit!
I do wish-
I could remain here-
FOREVER!
Wake-up—‘tis 5 a.m.!
Take a hurried bath…
Chomp that soggy breakfast,
to travel by the BEST!
Rush to the nearest corner,
Brave the increasing traffic,
brush with urchins en-route,
to travel by the BEST!
Join the sultry crowds,
hustle oldies and kids,
catch your breath a l’il
to travel by the BEST!
Dodge the swanky Palio,
scurry across the zebra-lines,
Disregard the blasted signals,
to travel by the BEST!
Curse buses that do not halt,
Curse the Q-marshals,
curse just about everyone,
to travel by the BEST!
Now, there comes the bus!
and here alight the passengers,
Hey, What are you waiting for?
Go, travel by the BEST!
Take care of your slippers,
and mind your wallet too…
there goes the ironing in your shirt,
and you’re on, in the BEST!
Shove those in front of you,
and jab those behind…
Heave yourself in,
and travel by the BEST!
Hold on to dear life,
Plant your feet apart,
Juggle your belongings neatly,
travel standing in the BEST!
Get yourself a ticket,
forget about the change,
You’ve got to pay this premium,
to travel by the BEST!
Feel the jerks and sway,
Say your prayers, yes do!
An occasional bruise won’t hurt you,
if you travel by the BEST!
Learn the facts of life,
Say, Might is Always Right!
Disregard all civil rules,
Yeah, Travel only with the BEST!
© Dr. Taher Kagalwala 2002
By Dr. Taher Kagalwala
As the sun strives
to meet the horizon,
The smog of Bombay rises to greet it;
The burning orb of fire
is now a mere red ball of light
struggling to sink into the Arabian Sea–
so that it may rise again
tomorrow.
Now it’s orange, now it’s red;
Criss-crossed by dark bands of polluted air..
and now it’s almost brown-red, with an orange cap;
Soon it will be seen,
No more.
There fly birds o’er its face,
racing to an unknown destination;
There – the sky turns orange, then pink,
then red and gray…
as the sun,
now oblong and distorted,
finally touches the horizon-
and sets.
It is gone,
and so must I,
for I’ve sensed the presence of God..
and witnessed a moment of Eternal Truth!
Mumbai Meri Jaan 