Waiting for the ambulance
We heard the siren first, then saw flashing lights
And watched the ambulance go past our road
Before finding its way to our house
Where, in your room, on your bed, you were dying
That night, for a brief moment, I wondered if the neighbours already knew
But stayed indoors with the lights switched off because it was too soon
Hearing an ambulance was so rare back then, just a few years ago
I wanted to apologize for the noise
Who'd have thought that today, a few years later,
I'd wake up to the sound of sirens
I'd hear them while having breakfast
Or enjoying a glass of thambili
I'd go to bed, hearing the siren get louder and louder and then quieter and quieter
Who'd have thought that we'd hear them so often
They'd blend into the noises of the neighborhood;
Other vehicles, mobile vendors, music, birds
And when an ambulance drives down our road
And drives back a few minutes later
We now wonder if we'd get off with a bit of quarantine or isolation
Or if we'd wake up to find white flags fluttering in the wind
