Cosmopolitan

The sense of family
is an escape,
a responsible escape
into routine,
bound by the refusal
to dwell in dreams,

by the prohibition
of trespassing
into forbidden places,
not of lust or knowledge,
or magic or power,
but 

places of adventure,
of life,
of leisure.

To break
to break
to break
the railings that hold you back.

To make
amends to your soul-
for having listened
to 'Wish you were here,'

traffic-stuck and numb,
and then paying for
a parking ticket,
for a cramped corner in a basement.

The wish to be away from here,
a terrible pinprick
up the elevator.


11/09/09 Bangalore