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Autorickshaw Driver
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bishupoetry Maiden trip to the railway station
Five passengers he carries.. shows no emotion
Young,dark,bony, hardened with time
Hardly time for breakfast even at nine !
None think of him... an honest,hardworking man
Counting the years.. fearing the pollution ban
Three wheeled two-stroke of nineteen ninety five
With caution and care he commences his drive
"What is the fare I have to pay you ?"
"Seven Rupees, a tenner won't do"
"My dear brother, a tenner is all I have "
With a silent gesture Montu has to grab
that foul looking currency note almost in tatters
Can't afford refusing "Okay" he mutters
Rainy foul weather Montu has to rough
Time is moulding him... gradually becoming tough
An undergraduate from a Government college
Pulls out a plastic sheet wraps it around
Protection from gusty winds,torrential rain
He is also a human being.. he also feels the strain !
Pain in his body... ache in his frozen heart
"Someday I'll shop at the Station Road City Mart!"
A teenaged sister , a baby brother back home
Home ?.. an aged shattered shanty in a slum
Is there any reason why he shouldn't look glum ?
It's midday .. the sky has now become clear
"Driving an auto is okay for me,only cops do I fear"
Five Rupees bribe daily for not having insurance and license
Are we fair to him ? Do we pay him any respect ?
One day I gave him a counterfeit from my pocket
A feeling of guilt shrouded me all of that day
On way back I broke my silence tried to make him gay
He poured out his heart brimming with piles of sorrow
Its Monty or some other whom I'll again meet tomorrow
© Bishwanath Mukherjee
Author's Notes/Comments:
An ode to auto rickshaw drivers. Theirs is a hard life. People do cheat them with counterfeit money.
Wow... yes, a hard life. I
Wow... yes, a hard life. I have never ridden by way of rickshaw, but I think I might rather walk... or maybe let him take a rest for half of the way---share his load for my fare. (?) I don't know if I could even do it, but I could try.
......................
...and he asked her, "do you write poetry? Because I feel as if I am the ink that flows from your quill."
"No", she replied, "but I have experienced it. "
Handpulled ,cyclerickshaw and Autorickshaw
Thanks a lot for your comments and insight/views. 3 kinds of rickshaws: Handpulled(your picture prediction) ,cyclerickshaw and Autorickshaw.The handpulled ones are almost extinct.Cycle rickshaw ,the puller has to pedal like a bicycle(lesser effort) and the ones now in vogue(the autorickshaw) with the engine of a 150-200 cc scooter powered by petrol or LPG/CNG. Normal seating capacity =3. This is the one I wrote about.No manual effort is needed.But I do use No.2 & 3 for commuting short distances.It is after all a livelihood for them.They earn the honest way. Educated guys (some graduates) People who happily hop onto the puller ones don't spare a thought for the hapless pullers(your pic is 100% real) But who cares ? The Rajah/zamindar culture goes on............
©bishu