my birthplace,
save the faded stamp
of bureaucracy,
that confirms my be-
longing.
in my wanderings,
i seek familiar sights—
the marketplace abounds
with produce from small-acred
plots.
it’s like watching a
sepia-toned film
come alive.
time must have
stopped
for a long siesta here.
crowds throng the streets,
but stop as they pass me--
this curious creature from
someplace else.
in my faded jeans and sunglass-
hid looks
i am instantly
outcast.
discarded from
the mould.
and all this time,
i thought
i had travelled a mere
thousand miles…
Author Bio:
Shobhana Kumar's first collection of poetry, 'The Voices Never Stop' was published by Writers Workshop, Calcutta, in 2012. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in several journals and publications including Origami Poems Project, The Buddhist Poetry Review, ReadLeaf Poetry, Kritya, The Poetry Society of India, among others. She has also authored five books of nonfiction.