An Ode to Colaba Causeway

To those who haven’t been here
I’d like to to say,
You’re missing a glamour-fest
Everyday
For every inch is glamour doused
From Regal Cinema to the Electric House
Bracing the Café christened Leopold
Is a bustling market, fairly old.

Keep your money to yourself
Away from predatory merchants
They lure you with trinkets and T-shirts
And lockets and pendants
And telescopes and DVDs
And other wasteful commodities.

I suggest you trudge along
In your head, sing a song
For just watching is no sin
Plainly, to avoid greed’s din.

You’ll see many things be assured
And many a beggar have endured
But sadly have slapped them aside
Like ticks pricking the conscience inside.

At night you look overhead
And see the sky black and dead
“Where are the stars?”
They ask sans delight
Then look around…
Smile
And bask in starlight

The stars descend everynight
To this streach of road: young and neon bright
They take every shape, colour and size
And boldly drape to please the eyes.

Every sense can be pleased
Once you have your pockets eased
Then sit back
To watch your character teased
By the fawning waiter, the comely sylph
The drug peddler and bullying police

It IS nice nonetheless
Though not as good as it gets
So to one and all I pray
Just for the experience, do come once
To Colaba Causeway.


These lines came to me on a happy BEST bus ride from VT to Navy Nagar.