Balloony

Smile for me, little balloon girl
Let your dimples shine
The night has settled on these Mumbai streets
And you haven't made a dime

For rations you ask a few rupees
So that your family can eat
And still you smile all the while
Day and night on your feat

Will you ever play with a balloon?
Like other children, happy and free
From the drudgery of life
Will you be?

How can I refuse when you smile again
And touch my heart of hearts
I reach in and the first note I find
Is pressed in your little palm, stretched out

While in a cubicle far from your world
Another girl giggles out
This girl she needs no rations
This time she has no doubt

That her balloons will cause mirth
And laughter in their wake
I laughed too and laughed some more
Until my mind went back

To that little balloon girl
With dimples that shine
Through the Mumbai night.