Catching The Mumbai Train

Mumbai's a giant Mogul. At night it never sleeps In shanty towns rat armies, through tin can houses creep Towerblocks soar to the Heavens from the dung of garbage heaps Shakti crossed the line for the ten minute walk for water Aged seven, a flower seller's daughter Death was instant and messy. The goddess Kali caught her. Ramesh the shack dweller begged at the railway junction Polio stole his future, fresh air was his luncheon On the wrong side of the tracks, killed running from a truncheon Neeja went off the rails to avoid the moneylender Just one more suicide stat... a small time spender Jagdeep was sixty-one when he fell from the train He slipped to the open sewer He drowned in the rain Durga ran out of steam at Divali Tired of harvesting plastic tossed rupee Glue-sniffing she walked in front of the 6.03 Santosh climbed on the roof. No fares up there Lost his head to the wire that crossed the air On the mortuary slab, he'd nothing to declare. Mumbai's a giant Mogul. At night it never sleeps In shanty towns rat armies, through tin can houses creep Towerblocks soar to the Heavens from the dung of garbage heaps