Saturday, February 10, 2007

From Delhi to Kanpur

I was returning to Kanpur from Delhi after taking part in the finals of a quiz contest. The quiz contest didn't go very well, and I didn't like the questions either. But that's not the topic here. The return journey from Delhi to Kanpur was yet another indictment of Northern Railways. I spent most of the journey hunched up on the upper berth. The harrowing experience and the free time I had resulted in the following piece of doggerel:

It's early in the day
when I climb the train
There's water in the walkway
thanks to the rain

There's no room in the aisle
People keep coming in
I can't see how they fail
to see that S6 is not S10

Their luggage leaves no room
They don't seem to mind
As they crush each other in the gloom
I wonder if they're blind

A child begins to wail
His father gives him a sweet
He throws it into the aisle
where it's crushed under many feet

Someone goes to the loo
The toilet's sprung a leak
Now there's urine too
in the place where we walk

I thank my fortune
My berth is an upper
but I've spoken too soon
Someone's kicked away my slipper

I'm stuck for good
I can't come down
The water below has bits of food
It looks muddy brown

As I huddle on my berth
people without tickets come and sit
If there's a hell on earth
this damned place is it