Through the Fish bowl

Bharat series 

The kids from across scream "kaifah haluka,"
to the Muslim foreigner in a bid to know an outsider,

The ladies doing khusur phusur
 sit like gurus on their stairways
in the know of all community woes,

The dust due to metropolification 
pollutes the air as nicotine smoke
lays down its wreath.

The spicy tinge of masala in almost everything
stings the tongue yet cures a pang 

The busses during rush hour are
packed like slices of bread in poly,
it's no wonder it's a perfect place for "baba gulshan ji" posters.

The metro at its peak makes the city look like
Tetris blocks; ayeh, you'd miss the Pakistani salt blocks
and mukhauta's hang on buildings to keep away bad omens.

The lust for money sometimes-
turns the society into a den of petty thieves,
so some lose their dignity in exchange for a swindled rupee,

The malls are state of the art,
despite meeting insatiable wants and desires,
their beauty is the tightly knit family units
enjoying a feast in the food court.

The monsoon winds bring a wave of fresh air after a dry spell
but the floods are a menace,
it's hard to know if you're trekking in rain or sewage.

The people's hooting and hollering
for every other little thing during corporate rush hour
depicts an ardent lack of patience.

The culture is still deeply rooted but occasionally,
you find ladies in hot pants and men struck with hands for eyes.

The feeder roads have a cartwheel assortment
of all you can eat seasonal fruits and mosambi to cool the tummy.

The bar owner breaks a coconut at his entrance,
and burns some incense in the morn
to welcome drunks and loners to their very own suicide show. 

The way they castesize  one another is peculiar;
ayeh some of them don't care, t
hey are sweet as mangoes from Gujarat to one another,

The transvestite community comes of as self righteous,
they won't blend in to earn their way and thrive-
so denied by society they beg to survive.

To be continued... 

Eessubi Nina,

Eessubi Nina, 

Nalengela omukyala mukiduula nga chaali amugamba ngenda kunywegera nkusikemu omusayi, 

Omkyala yamugamba, "ababuvubuka bantabide ekimala naye gwe ssebo osuse kidiba waalayi."

Twali tulya nkuuka, tunyumirwa omuziki omusaja netumulengera nga atukiiriza embeera... 

Omukyala yamukwata mukiwato, nanyiga ebeere nga akamula omukyungwa,

Byatusuka ko naye nga tetulina wa kukyuka ekitufu kyo kirinti nataandika nobegoomba. 

Naye esuubi nina, newankubade owaye siyina gwe nyiga, essuubi lyo niina! 

Lulituuka nga nange nkayeh naye nga siri mukiduula,

Eera niinze nga nange ewato nkwata paka enkeera,

Nga nange bankubira amasiimu esiuma mbula disuula,

Nga ntambula mu bireh ne mukyala wange tweyagala, 

Nga nywegerah tere atunyumiza nanti twasiba empeta,

Newankubade ekisibo ki tulumbyeh tuja linda nga tebukya tintiima.

Wabula nesuunze nga mwattu bangulila ebirabo,

Ebya bagalana mubimanyi biba bijude amasape,

Nga kwendi wali kwa akiiba one time sagala atabijuwa,

Nga mama wabana afuumbye akamere  akawowo kakukusa, 

Nga ntuyanye mpede emirimu naye nga nina omunyumiza, 

Mutabireh, mutijise, muwaneh anti teri amusiinga!

Ko yeh nti, " honey nawe, lekelawo okunkubaganya!"

Nve muba mulondolo nyigireh naye mukikunta!

Ko nze, "leero luno kumpulieh nga wasuuka okunkokonya!"

Hoo! Banange essubi niina, lyo lyansuka ko...

Nga sikyali musabaze, nga Ssebo nafuuka duriver, 

Nga yeh conductor buli wenyongeza omuliiro aba takyayitaba! 

Aba wereeza amataba leero sitontomera bajunior, 

Nga nesunze olubozi lwe kiiro nga tetuuna nyiiga, 

Nga tetuunaba kweyokya nabigambo kuda mukwekuba migongo!

Wabula nesunze ninga omwavu aliinze enkoko ya Christmas, 

Neera engoye nazitegeka, nazigolola nga bankyayeh!

Kyoka byona nali ninna,
ekitufu kirinti omukwano simwangu gwakutegera! 

Kati musaja watu Nada Ku kateebe nasigaza kwegomba,

Eesubi sikiwa nti nina...