India, July 2016 A Poem

     India, July 2016

“Why do the vehicles on the road honk so much?”
We asked our driver
“My horn says:
     I am here
     I am here
     Don’t forget that I am here.”
 
“Spicy!” we sniffled.
And the street vendor laughed,
“The food says:
     I am here
     I am here
     Don’t forget that I am here.”
 
Brightly colored scarves and sarees
     Tangerine
     Gold
     Red
Flutter like prayer flags:
     I am here
     I am here
     Don’t forget that I am here.
 
The children around the car
The toothless woman with a can
And the silent girl chained to a bed:
     I am here
     I am here
     Don’t forget
That I am here.
          ~Michelle Winter