If He Was Not A Hijra

If He Was Not A Hijra, originally uploaded by firoze shakir photographerno1.

179,281 items / 1,410,890 views

if he was not a hijra
he could have been
a peon working
in nationalized bank
a painter on a scaffolding
painting a building
standing on a plank
a news vendor
selling newspapers
midday at traffic
signals bold and frank
or a waiter at
an irani joint
serving keema pau
sulaimani chai
with thanks
if he was not a hijra
in red blouse
a printed saree
he could have
been a car mechanic
under the car
oiling engine and crank
or a petrol pump
help filling oil petrol
in car tanks
or a roustabout on a rig
swinging his tattooed
arms on the gangplank
he would not want to
be a neta taking the nation
for a ride
corruption and scams
corrupt bureaucrats
covering his flanks
he would not want
to be a policemen
some of whom
take hafta make love
to bar dancers
showing
of their ranks
free biryani
free booze
they drank
in the eyes
of god
his people
each day
they shrank

so he is happy
as a eunuch
as a hijra in values
in humility everyone
even the rogue
religious man
he outranks
hijras on whom
as humans
you can bank