A costly affair

The Americans, the British,
The French, and the Germans
they did a lot of consuming
and gladdened the Arabs

The sheikhs decided
to fill their bulging pockets
and hence up shot
the price of oil like rockets

The airlines that we were fond
of calling low cost
decided that their profits
were now getting lost

And the era of low cost flying
vanished overnight
the railways made gains
as we were back on trains

But them americans, they enjoyed
but forgot to pay
their bills and loans
worth billions they say

and banks crashed all around
the markets plumetted
people were fired
and houses vacated

and soon there were no
long queues at the gas stations
and price of oil was
brought down by scared Arab nations

and people like me,
were happy again
because air travel
was again a bargain

But the kings of the air
they said they were still making losses
and air tickets were still
kept dear by aeroplane bosses

And then, out of nowhere
came a man called Otis
he said he was selling
the Mahatma's glasses

and chappals and teeth and what not
to the highest bidder
suddenly through the country
passed a collective shudder

People took to the streets
to convice the government
to bring back our heritage at all costs
trash all development

The government were not sure
exactly what to do
Otis said spend on the poor
and take them without a sou

But if they had had
any money to spare
they would have offered a drink
to every poor, elections were near

And then rose our man
our knight in shining armour
he decided to spend
sitting in a French parlour

He paid a million dollars
and then paid some more
for an old chappal, specs and teeth
of a man considered pure

But that beer baron
that king of red planes
from where did he earn it
from where it all came?

Its we who payed
for all that booze
and we who spent money
to go and air cruise

So we can be proud
we can lay claim
after all when fuel was cheaper
we still paid the same

But if only we had spent
all that money for progress
that man would have been happier
if there was no one without a dress.