ROAD ROMEO

SITTING ON THE EDGE OF THE PAVEMENT 

Sittin’ on edge of pavement

Constant drag on cigarettes

Butt kissing young one to life

Or match aflame in cupped palms

(Someone used to blow it out)

Dies out in exposed air

 

Watching cyclists struggling uphill

Oil lamps flickering

Auto rickshaws gliding on clutches squeezed

Odor of burnt oil

    Nausea

                 Suffocation

Dyspnoea

Time to time

                    cold air

                                 chilling cheeks

Glaring lights of cars

Probing secrets of Night

Revealing old hag

                           couple not young

                                                      love seems strong still                 

beggar begging

not succeeding

 

Listening

               drone-chatter

                                    yells-shouts                                                  

                                                      puttr- puttr

                                                         durr-durr

                                                     beeps-honks

                                                     beeps honks

 

Sudden scream of brakes in agony

laboring

               grushh- grushh

                                      of buses

 

All night-city sounds

Watching and sniffing and listening

and waiting

                   and

                          waiting

                                       and

                                                WAITING

          

ã Phillip ”Peedy” David

09 DECEMBER 1969