Smart City Symphony

Dr Raj Singh *

Welcome, dear traveler, to Imphal the Bright,
A Smart City shining in government light!
Where potholes are portals to hell below,
And traffic crawls like a funeral show.

Here, speed is a luxury no one can afford,
Thirty km/h? That's speeding, good Lord!
With cows, autos, and bikes in ballet,
On roads that dissolve when the skies turn grey.

Rain gifts us mud, a generous spray,
Dust returns strong by the very next day.
Breathing's a sport, with lungs as the prize—
Hold your nose, and hope no one dies.

Garbage pyramids rise with civic grace,
Landmarks of rot in every place.
Tourists may wonder, is this a scheme?
A tribute to Egypt? Or a civic dream?

Power comes in hourly bouts,
Enough for a bulb, then the blackout shouts.
Fans pause mid-spin like dancers in doubt,
"Smart grids?"—Oh, don't talk about.

The offices hum with digital air,
E-governance thrives… on paper somewhere.
Yet under the trees, deals are still made,
With speed money rituals finely displayed.

Critics are loud—"The system is vile!"
Then pocket the bribe with a knowing smile.
We curse the corrupt, yet play our part,
With fingers crossed and a twisted heart.

Trust is a relic, long laid to rest,
Buried beneath ethnic unrest.
Each man a cynic, proud and refined,
Building walls in the corridors of mind.

Oh Imphal, jewel of high-tech schemes,
Still chasing yesterday's broken dreams.
Your Smart City badge is shiny and bold,
Pinned on streets where garbage molds.

Yet hope is a fool that never quite dies,
It stares at the mess with stubborn eyes.
If satire stings and laughter bites,
May truth emerge from these absurd nights.