Rising at dawn, i take to the road.
Any later -
the traffic is relentless
and the sun, scorching.
Large buses, small cars.
Cows and people crossing as they please.
Apartment complexes, supermarkets.
Defence establishments, national labs.
Ancient grizzled banyans stand patiently
monkeys swing one-handed from sturdy vines
swift mongooses dart in the undergrowth
Dappled deer drink from roadside troughs.
Mosquito larvae ripple the surface
of stagnant, malodorous cesspools.
On their banks, in airconditioned comfort
deals are made in the corporate world.
Temple bells toll, hospital ambulances wail.
Plastic garbage dumps line the wall
of a derelict airport, long in disrepair.
Languorously, a green snake climbs.
The roads may be different
but the destination same -
the 9-to-5 temple to work,
the cornerstone of modern existence.
- Ranga Kidambi
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