an ode to bhopal

And now after a decade
and the half of one more,
I must, reluctantly,
hesitantly,
leave through your
rusted brown doors.

You gave me life,
an address for the permanent address section
I will fill in the hundreds of forms
to come.

You are the heart of this country,
a serene,
magnificent state-capital.
The city of lakes.
You are architecture,
art,
clothing.
You are an emotion
that can only be conveyed
through the steaming hot
poha and jalebis.
You are my favourite person;
a place that will forever
be
mine.

With narrow alleyways
and crammed markets
at once
and also better planned:
full of parks and gardens-
you coexist in harmony.
Hindus and muslims hug,
thrive
and so does their cuisine-
you coexist in harmony.
You are balance,
the voice in me.

I must tell you that
I owe you:
for being, in this chaotic world, a translator,
for being, a patient curator,
for being a force in my heart, than anyone, greater.
I must tell you that
this isn’t goodbye,
this is a see you later.