Reconnecting

Posted on by Reena Saxena

It’s not easy to forgive or forget, I say
we shared gossip over a cup of chai yesterday
Can you believe we pulled swords at another
In the same verandah
I recall the horror of
blood flowing down the streets
not knowing if it belonged
to a Hindu or Mussalman
it was all so passionate red
our friends lay dead
while we packed up to flee

the pain of partition blinds us
and we cannot trust those
wth whom we shared food and beds
Anglo-Indian is not a word
it was mingling of cultures, you see

Yet, it takes courage and nimbleness
of a cheetah to cross barriers
reach the other end of the jungle
to shake hands again
and say, yes
we know you so well

we still host each other
we share some of your traits
you revel in chicken tikka masala
we like to have our tea served
unmixed with sugar and milk
it’s refinement as some see
others call it betrayal
as they sip their boiled chai

There’s someone at the helm today
who boasts of Indian origin
yet not strictly so
we respect identities
however diverse they may be
see an opportunity
to let present generations
move beyond altercations
at least shake hands
then,
let events take their own course
as the world goes…

dVerse Poetics

15 thoughts on “Reconnecting”

  2. This is so moving, and all that passionate red blood. I think this type of thing has happened in so many places–the artificial political boundaries–and in this case complicated by colonialism. Your poem is so well done. Thank you.

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  4. “Anglo-Indian is not a words, it’s a mingling of cultures”. I couldn’t agree more. This whole piece is very profound and seems to come straight from the heart. For me it has always been about culture/ideas, it’s what I associate with more than color, religion, race etc. Extremely well written, Reena. It touched me.

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