Rainbow Dreams

The rumble of the wheels, 

The honks, 

One, one two, one two three - 

A cacophony of irritation. 

A little girl looks out of the car’s window - 

just barely - and the world enfolds around her. 

She is seated in a silver car - 

It’s nice, but she was told it would be a rainbow. 

Every time her eyes land on it, 

She dreams of bouncing to the basement 

With buckets of colourful paint 

And spreading paint on the silver background - 

Violet, indigo, blue stripes - 

The skies are of brilliant hues.

But her eyes descend and her heart slowly sinks - 

She looks at the cardboard buildings around her 

Caked with dust 

Trash scattered across a desert. 

Left under a staircase, newly discovered. 

She could make miracles of joy 

against the light and shadows, with her fingers. 

Green stripe - 

But it won’t be easy. 

The world around her - shades of brown, grey, black and white. 

How can she change her motherland?

Yellow stripe - a light bulb glows. 

She announces to her parents driving 

“I’ll be the Prime Minister of India! I’ll change the world!” 

Chuckles of laughter, 

But no offence taken by the little girl. 

Of course not. 

Years roll by, 

She doesn’t change her mind. 

She’s about to press the pedal and make a move 

Orange stripe - Wait! 

An American citizen can’t be Prime minister of India. 

Years roll by, 

Another conversation in the silver car - 

Still no complete rainbow on it

But at certain angles -

A mirage - a hint. 

the rainbow is almost complete at the angle across metal. 

The orange is fading, about to take off - 

Accelerate - 

And stop! 

A car jumps right in front, 

Telling her to back a little. 

NO. 

A stripe of Red. 

She won’t back the car. 

She’ll do whatever it takes, 

Eyebrows furrow, fingers grip the wheel, 

Swerves and accelerates, 

Makes way and leads. 

Others follow

Throws a look at the rogue driver. 

His car was still silver, 

But hers had a rainbow.