W - A RAILWAY COMPARTMENT

A RAILWAY COMPARTMENT

The second class railway compartment,
Was simply packed
The benches were occupied
With people shoving and pushing their buttocks
With their neighbour
To give a comfort
To the sitting posture.

Vendors came in calling
Tea or coffee, tea or coffee
Some others cried
Cigarette, paan, cold drinks
Some others said
Samosas, chops or cutlets
Even some others sold
Newspapers and magazines
And some
Toffees and lozenges.

Along with the vendors came
The blind who sang devotional songs
With stretched open palms
Moved up and down
And coins started falling into the palm.
A handicapped boy moved along
Begging for money
And even some old men came along
Begging and nagging.

There was disturbance all around
Vendors and beggars found all around
And bodies touching each other
Making it so hot and perspiring
One nice thing you can see here
Are people of ranges far and wide
Which comes to help to a man
When his thoughts run wild
And is penned in words on paper.