As I wait for the crawling being,

One among many similar creatures.

 

I look up the sky,

Pray for mercy today.

I look around,

The determined yet “white washed” faces gape back at me.

A bleak smile eases the pain,

Maybe one common thread ties us all together.

 

“yes! I can make it! I can make it through.

Yes I can make it without breaking my neck,

tearing my bag, ripping out my hair,

A bleeding foot,

A torn shoe…”

 

As the crawling vehicle approaches,

I murmur my prayers.

Anticipate what lies ahead,

 

Then comes the hazardous activity of

Brutal pushes, pulls, swears, cries , HELP!!

As I make my journey from the door…through the passage…towards the lucky seated beings,

“ouch!” “aah!...you are stamping my foot!”

Colored, dark, perfumed, oiled, mane lash my face…thank my stalwart physique!

I pull my bag, pull up my hair , from my head, to my hip, to my knee, to my foot.

Make their way through intelligently, making it as gentle as possible!

 

People formulate rules,

“make such and such angle and push in!”

Complain,

“excuse me…your bag is poking me!”

Command,

“your stop is miles away…get out of my way!”

I wish there was a nanometer of surplus gap left for me to make your way ma’am!

 

As I make my way through,

Thick waves of emotions pass through.

Sympathy, empathy, “what on earth is she doing?” , “don’t disturb my sleep!”

 

I reach my destination half choked,

Half molested,

Fully beaten up,

And totally shaken.

& pray again

“Thank you God…I am alive…in one piece!”