courage

one day
you have to stop
being afraid
and be you

i think it's today
it's a new release
first day, first show. 

farmer

orange saree
softly shines 
in the mild winter sun 
against blinding green
 
you drape your pallu
around your head

i watch
from behind the window 
of an air-conditioned 
train compartment 

the screen that
separates us

you, picking paddy
in mud-covered feet
me, sitting on my berth
with notepad and pen

using you
as my muse 

both of us
born of the same soil
in the same country 
but suddenly, I wonder

if being there
makes you
more Indian
than I am.