The Battle

I just caught a seat,
It’s a fight every day,
I finally feel the breeze,
I feel the oxygen intake.

About half a minute goes by,
And then it halts again;
A mob of ladies goes out,
to let another mob make its way.

A mother stumbles and comes in with the mob.
Her baby attached with a cloth to stay,
I stare at her in awe,
I want to get up and give her my place.

Just when I am about to do that,
I see her hand goes in the bag and she says,
“Chains for fifteen bucks,
Hair bands for ten”.
I am shocked; I just don’t know what to say.

She’s here to work I thought,
She’s not here to travel the way.
She’s here to earn I thought,
Her battle is not just the place.

It’s much tougher,
It’s much deeper,
And it grows with every day.
Her battle is to survive her way,
Her battle is to make her baby stay.


- Priyanka Talreja
priyankatalreja@yahoo.com