If you can lose your head as all around you
Are
losing theirs and jamming in on you,
If you can t(h)rust the wheel when all men doubt
you,
But
make allowance for their cussing too;
If you can tailgate and not be tired by "corner-cutting"
Or
being honked about, indulge in a quick brawl,
Or being hated, don’t ever give way to those who're following
And yet
don’t look too rude, nor talk too foul:
If you can be reckless—and not make traffic lights your
master,
If you
can dodge potholes —and not make sticking-to-lanes your aim;
If you can ignore indicators and zebra crossings
And
treat those two distractors just the same;
If you can bear to see lorries sauntering
And avoid speed-breakers created as traps
for fools,
Or watch footpaths being encroached, dividers
being broken,
And
stoop lower to disregard all rules:
If you can finally find enough space to squeeze-in
And
risk it on one unpredictable sharp turn of the city-bus,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And just swear a word or two about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To take
the unauthorized U-turn well before traffic police are gone,
And so don't hold on when they confront you
Just wear
your mischievous smile :), wink ;) and speed on..
If you can hustle with other cars with pedal on the metal
Or
bustle with bikes — nor mind as those mirrors touch,
If neither auto-drivers nor taxi-drivers can hurt
you,
If men
in your car count on you, but none too much;
If you can utilize that rare empty stretch
at
hundred kmph worth of distance run,
Coz yours is the road and everything that’s on
it,
And—which is more—you’ll be home, my son!
