Today is the 64th Independence Day of India. As everywhere, the country is proudly raising flags and sharing sweets and revelling in the freedom, I thought I'd share a poem that I wrote two weeks ago. There is so much more to India than crowded streets and grimy pavements. That is just one of India's numerous sides. The hospitality, the musty air that smells of 'chaat', the obsessive discussion of cricket, the bus-travels to the countryside, the goats on top of buses and trains that shamble past villages... Each adds one more picture to the colorful collage that is India. Here is the poem:
“Attention!” barks a voice. Our heads snap up,
arms stiffen, chins lift and eyes brighten.
A hundred eyes, a hundred hearts
follow the rise of a tricoloured flag.
‘Jana Gana Mana’ starts the song, and already my mind drifts…
A flash of the past, a nameless man, saying
“We sacrifice our todays, for better tomorrows”.
The pull of the present, for at this moment,
thousands of children sing, and sing loud and clear -
dreams of a bright future, a glorious tomorrow.
The weight of responsibility, for in our hands lies
the upliftment of the country,
And in our hearts beat, the hope of living millions,
and unborn thousands.
Soon to become athletes, politicians, lawyers and doctors;
Soon to become fathers and mothers and leaders…
All so different, and yet, all the same -
bound by the golden thread entwining our destinies,
our identities - India
And even as my mind lingers on all this,
The 52 seconds draw to a close.
My friend catches sight of my dreamy eyes,
her nudge shakes me out of my reverie…
just in time…
As flowers burst and shower the ground below,
somewhere along the border, our soldiers stand rapt -
A majestic salute at the burst of colour atop the pole.
As I word a hearty burst of “Jaya He”
my heart - it beats faster!
My heart - It beats forIndia
My heart - It beats for
celebrating,
--Sunny
--Sunny
