Always.. Indian

On the occasion of Indian Independence Day

An expatriate like me should have nothing to say

Yet the umbilical cord binding me to the land of my birth

Is hard to cut off- I can state that whatever I am worth

Today is because I was raised an Indian

My sense of identity remains but one-

In a world that stands divided today

I am fortunate that India showed me the way

Of secularism, religious tolerance and more

So that prejudice and bigotry I find easier to ignore

With five thousand years of culture behind me

I am privileged to carry an unparalleled legacy

The strength of the family unit has my back

Its cohesiveness would never let me lose track

Growing up in a land where resources were few

With relatively little I have learnt to make do..

 

At the same time Indian idiosyncrasies

Have obviously brushed off on me

My palate is woefully limited, I’m aware

To try new adventures, I do not dare

There are many other things that stereotype 

Me as an Indian, but my actions live up to the hype

 

As I contemplate today my identity

Being Indian I feel is part of my destiny

Despite the fact that I have embraced

Another country as my own, I am still faced

With the question of being comfortable 

In my skin, of being capable

Of navigating two different cultures with equal elan

I think my efforts are good, but in this lifespan

A true blue Indian at heart I shall remain

It is the part of me that keeps me sane!