Waiting For The Light* To Change Poem by Deepak Manchanda of Delhi

In the dust and din of the day
Amidst the traffic at the crossing of roads
Staring far into the potholed road ahead
I met a man drumming his fingers
On the steering wheel
I’m waiting for the light to change, he said

By the side of the road
Amidst the grime, stray dogs and roar of traffic
I met a ragged man and his ragged wife
Feeding scraps of food to their baby
We’re waiting for the light to change, they said

On the far side, watching it all
Stood a man in uniform
A little bit this side and a little bit that
Of the law
The light has got to change, he said

The school children by the zebra crossing
The muscled rickshaw wala sweating in the sun
The family of four riding on two wheels
The suited man with wife in black burqa
They were all waiting for the light to change

Suddenly
In a screech of lights and sirens
With a cavalcade of guns, goons and glory boys
A Very Important Man
Went speeding by

I too think
The light must change, soon
Some day