Homeland Blues - Ayaan Chetiar

Homeland Blues

When everyone says to which state they belong,
Which culture they live by, which traditions they follow,
I remain rooted, steadfast, to my spot in the corner,
Not a word leaves my mouth, not a whisper so hollow…

In a dilemma, caught am I,
between my birthplace and my ancestral tide,
The land of my parents, or that of those before,
Am I but without no culture, no homeland, no town?

As I traverse upon the soil, do I think of it as mine?
To some, a mere nuisance, but my heart yearns for more,
Be it Gujarat or Maharashtra I consider to be my home?

For years, I have puzzled, and pondered, without a clue,
But the solution to this predicament, it seems, is up to you,
Whether you choose to be bounded by the borders that surround,
Or instead decide to look further, beyond the boundaries one has found?

As the world dances by, and the bridges fall apart,
Only then becomes the picture complete and so profound,
For what better way to be bonded, what better means of connect?
Than our nationality, our country, our India divine!

So, to all those boys and girls, from whom the Earth has robbed an answer,
Know that you’re not alone, you’re one of many in the middle,
And look beyond the limitations of one culture, one tradition,
Rejoice, for we are Indians, and that is my suggestion…

By Ayaan Chettiar

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