My would-be world

How nice it would be to walk on our head
Think on our feet and see with our nose
If, on the ceiling we could stretch out our bed
And when we sleep, our ears we close.

How nice it would be if the ceiling was the floor
And the floor was up where the ceiling was of old.
How nice to walk in through the window, not the door
How nice to have ice creams prescribed for a cold.

How nice it would be to stop time when we want
To talk in verse, and to walk in a sway
To keep lions and tigers as pets to flaunt
How nice if our schools made us only play!

When Jaya mami went to Mumbai
She searched high and low for a dish called dosai
She found a local junk called dosa
Whose taste did not please her
So she ran all the way back to Chennai!

Tiny's woes

A little boy called Tiny More
Skipped up to the Super Store
"I want lollies, candy, wafers, gum
Pizza, cool drinks, all things yum!"

The shopkeeper looked him up and down
And shook his head with a big, big frown!
"Candies and things aren't good for you
Pizza, gum - what a list, whew!"

"You are already fat and round
And your diet, little fellow, is quite unsound.
From junky snacks you must yourself wean
And I recommend fruits and salads green!"

"Milk and water are good for you
Fresh juices you could do with too!
Cut out the cheese, forget the butter
Abandon sweets and you'll feel better!"

Tiny cried out, "Boo-hoo-hoo
Every one nags me, must you too?
All I want is peace of mind
And that, I see, I can never find!"

A man from Assam called Bhrigu
Visited the dirty beach at Juhu
His frown was very big
and he danced an angry jig
As he said, "Clean this up before Bihu!"

A weird old ET from Jupiter
Came to Mumbai in a helicopter
Upon tasting chaat and bhel
He put up his copter for sale
And said, "I'll never go back to Jupiter!"

Silly Stuff

Six sick sheep on a summer's day
Sleep on the stern of a sailing ship
They sing in their sleep a slow stupid song
Waking snoozing sharks in the shimmering sea
A sudden storm rose, stirring the sea
And the swirling sea shook up the ship
And the six sick sheep slid out of the ship
And into the mouths of the snarly sharks
Still singing their slow stupid swan song!