Begging

Crisp, clean cutting at the coconut stand,

Street stands’ sizzling with samosas,

Men munching the mangos in hand,

Venders yelling, yapping, yanking.

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Roaring rickshaws racing the roads,

Insistent, intolerable, irritating honking.

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Henna artists huffing and humming,

Saris scratching, chafing,

Jewelry jingling and jangling.

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Viciously vibrating heat waves,

Monsoon winds whistling away.

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Mosquitos with malaria buzzing by,

Monkeys screaming, screeching, stealing,

Lizards whipping, whispering across windows,

Buffalos blaring, bellowing at lights.

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Mystical murmurs from the minarets of mosques,

Brass bands of the wedding,

Trills and thunderous bells of the temples.

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Kidnapped kids crying, babbling, begging,

Homeless hollering,

The sick screaming, bawling, begging,

Whimpering women beating the back window,

Children chanting, shuddering, begging.