From October 2008
The Bus 1
I stand in the bus
The crowd sways behind me
My dupatta catches the flow
But oh! Now the flow chokes me.
The Bus 2
I stand in the bus.
Just behind the steps.
Two hands of different people
On either side of my neck
Grab hold of the metal bar in front
Immobility.
The Bus 3
Smelly people
With rough synthetic clothes
Rub against my skin
While reaching for support
My hand brushes past a woman’s head
And is coated with her oil.
The Bus 4
I stand near the steps
As people get in
The women hit my face as they enter
No apologies.
The Bus 5
At the back, a man,
His hand at a woman’s posterior
I glare.
He gets off at the next stop.
The Bus 6
Balancing on a bus is like
Practicing karate stances
And surfing at the same time
We become flexible, strong armed
Acrobats.