Originally published in IBW
The hand pulling rickshaw puller
Struggled his feet through the
Hot and burning stone street
The lady sat fat with lot of extra shopping weight
Her right hand never stopped feeding her mouth
She ate as if there would be no tomorrow
And the puller pulled like there would be no tomorrow
His feet all bare and rough
The soles tough, distracting the stones
The sun was merciless
He eyed a bunch of young people
Gorging on the colored drinks
Two children playing with ice cubes
The lady still munching the snacks
The puller rode like a horse now
He can’t waste any time
He has to meet his little girl
Who’s been waiting since forever
He needs 20 rupees more
To buy her a birthday gift
The gift she’s been wanting since last year
The puller got the fat lady down safely to her house
Took the money, sidelined the rickshaw
He went to an ever old, shabby shoe shop
Shopped for a couple of chappals
Bought his choice and came home
Wearing the sandals in blue straps
His girl gave him a big hug and a tearful kiss
He finally made her day.
The hand pulling rickshaw puller
Struggled his feet through the
Hot and burning stone street
The lady sat fat with lot of extra shopping weight
Her right hand never stopped feeding her mouth
She ate as if there would be no tomorrow
And the puller pulled like there would be no tomorrow
His feet all bare and rough
The soles tough, distracting the stones
The sun was merciless
He eyed a bunch of young people
Gorging on the colored drinks
Two children playing with ice cubes
The lady still munching the snacks
The puller rode like a horse now
He can’t waste any time
He has to meet his little girl
Who’s been waiting since forever
He needs 20 rupees more
To buy her a birthday gift
The gift she’s been wanting since last year
The puller got the fat lady down safely to her house
Took the money, sidelined the rickshaw
He went to an ever old, shabby shoe shop
Shopped for a couple of chappals
Bought his choice and came home
Wearing the sandals in blue straps
His girl gave him a big hug and a tearful kiss
He finally made her day.
It is a nice poem indeed and I congratulate you for composing such a beautiful poem.I like to inform you that a tiny group of us has taken an initiative to make a docomentry film on hand-drawn rickshaw what has been continuing to ply only in Kolkata being on the verge of extinction. State government has promulgated law to ban hand-drawn rickshaw in 2006 without taking any measure to rehabilitate affected rickshaw pullers and others concerned.It has been in the name of stopping an inhuman profession, but the way it has been done is not a judicious one.
ReplyDelete'Happy birthday my girl' catches the sentiment of the hand-pulling rickshaws plying in this city.
We will remain obliged if your kind permission is got to use the poem in the documentry.
with regards, Sankar Bhadra, email:sankarbhadrakolkata@gmail.com
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