Mumbai Streets

by Dilip Mohapatra (January 2015)

The glisten and glitter

of receding tail lamps in waves

the siren of the ambulance

dopplering into a splinter

in the silence zone

on the resilient streets

defiled by the reclusive rubbish

heaped in the corners

the sidewalks with an occasional

missing manhole cover

and the skeletons of the

rusted scaffolds of billboards

melancholically perched

on the brown and severe

brick and mortar

ravaged by a savage storm

the neon signs flickering on

celebrity faces hanging in shreds

hold you prisoner

your indiscernible being

merged with many other beings

you stop at the red traffic light

waiting for it to turn green

and the street urchins

tap on your window

to drive a bargain

and sell you the flowers

that they stole from

someone’s grave

while you are lost in nostalgia

and seeking your green memories.

 

__________________________

 

Dilip Mohapatra (b.1950), a decorated Navy Veteran started writing poems since the seventies. His poems have appeared in many literary journals of repute in India and abroad. Some of his poems are included in the World Poetry Yearbook, 2013 along with the works of 211 contemporary poets from 93 countries. He has two poetry books to his credit: A Pinch of Sun & other poems, and Different Shades, published by Authorspress. He holds two masters degrees, in Physics and in Management Studies. He lives with his wife in Pune.

 

 

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