I travel back with my child to rekindle my desire
For my roots, long have I aspired
To connect him with the places in which I had grown
He knows his mother in a vacuum; he knows someone who has flown
From her nest, leaving half of her behind
The unbroken half – that is what we are here to find
*
For landmarks familiar my eyes continue to scan
But it does not look like I can
Identify the places seared in my memory
Haphazard buildings and throngs have replaced the trees
Where are the knolls on which I had stood
To watch sunrise and sunset in the neighborhood..
I am as confused as my child who looks up to me
A bit concerned, a bit frightened, unable to see
Anything remarkable in the urban melee
He is wondering if his mother’s promise was a lie..
*
As we continue to walk aided by Google street view
A trusted old friend comes to my rescue
The sprawling banyan tree from my childhood days
In all its glory, in the same spot has stayed
In its expansive shade we take refuge from the sun
And I show my child where my story had begun..
Passion...unbridled 