India!

who cares if India dies
neither you nor I
your child is in Harvard
mine is headed to Carlyle

mitti

mitti se gehra rishta hai.
ghaas pe nange paanv chalo
tehni ki lachak , phoolon ki mehak
sarson ke rang, methi ki sugandh
in sabko parichay apna do
phir gehri, lambi saanson mein
sukoon ko dil mein utarte dekho

rain

it rained last night
the gutter overflowed
loud, fierce winds howled
leaves flattened against the window
fleetingly their fate I rued
the full blown roses that'd
welcome me the morn
on the glistening grass scattered
then turned the page of the book
that told inspiring, far away stories
of the struggle against poverty

she did not ring the bell at 0730
it was then that I remembered
rains bring down the tin roof, they scurry
to protect their roomful of possessions
a family of four
living nearly next door
to our villas and landscaped gardens