MUMBAIKAR

This poem is written on Mumbaikars, keeping the frame work of 'If...' by Rudyard Kipling

This poem is dedicated to my sir, Dr. Tushar Shah, as he is the source of inspiration

If you can keep your plan, when all across you

    are losing theirs and blaming it on you

If you can tolerate corruption, when all are doing so

    some how, some day, you start doing too.

If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,

    for buses, train and auto, they being chief mode of treighting

If you can move or help fearlessly during blast, strike or riot,

    following it, beginning to doubt whosoever remains quite.

If you can yell 'Sachin aalaare' while entering through wicket,

    Hindu or Islam following supreme religion of cricket,

If you ca get influenced by Bollywood stars and their dictum,

    And some how can't cure restless mind's day dreaming symptom.

If you can forget life's deadliest disaster,

    for achieving routine-targets faster,

If you can discuss daily about corrupt master,

    Idle reactions, towards keeping them laster.

If your food travels via dabbawala's parcel

    Vada-pav or Bhel at Chowpati is part of weekend's morcel

If you dream to reside at Worli's wings

    While facing reality of adapting to Dharavi's flooring.

If you can brook the inflexible intentions of dotty

    to deal daily affairs mandatorily in Marathi

Hence forced to be regional,

    but your retort to it, is seasonal.

If you can fill this life, with refined colors,

    pushing ahead the groovy routine for years,

Your's is the Mumbai and everything that's in it,

    And above all you will be a true 'Mumbaikar'..!!