The indelible impact of colonization
Is evident in many ways on my education
Besides using English as the medium in which I would learn
From the cultural heritage of India my attention I turned
To the rest of the world, trying to understand
The culture of the west, neglecting to learn that of my homeland
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The literature, art and architecture of the west I found
More enticing, I thought more erudite I would sound
If I could be knowledgeable about the world outside
In consumption of Western culture, I took pride..
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Now I’ve been there and done that, the patina has faded
In the nation that epitomizes Western hegemony, I now live and have integrated
Into its cultural fabric, to a large extent
In an ironic reversal, my interests have now bent
Back to my homeland, I want to learn and explore
More of its art, craft, literature and folklore..
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The scale of cultural diversity in India is much larger than I had appreciated
My eyes are being opened to its richness, I have incorporated
More of my homeland in my creative expression
In a way, you could call it a reverse cultural obsession
But I view engagement with Indian culture to be
Both a tribute to my homeland and an unacknowledged apology
Passion...unbridled 