Ode to India

India, land of contradictions where the holy and the material sacred and filthy worshipped and untouchable are next door Absurd trafficubiquitous cow dungblack staring eyesa hundred angry languageshungry, barefoot children tugging at your sleevefast talking shopkeepersFast, green riversstoic, wise mountainswide smiles, greetings for allnamaste! jule! tashi delek!Swamis wrapped in orangeself-proclaimed masters of meditationThe enlightenment is subtleno great awakeningjust small pearls of wisdomTravel does that to you,no matter where you gobroadens the mindnarrows the focusforeign or familiarhappiness is right here.