the heart of a city
i never understood what it was,
wanting to hear a city breathe.
mine seemed to have a
steady rhythm,
slow-paced, deep
inhales and exhales.
nothing rattling the lungs.
what was there to hear?
but perhaps it is familiarity
that clouds my eyes.
lends a tired veneer to
the same contours i have
seen every day.
here, it is an explosion of emotion.
i can feel the sheer number
of lives packed into this city,
going on amidst each other.
every moment, the land is
pulsing with life,
sound and colours melding
into a whirlpool,
dragging me in its strong ripples.
staggering diversity rubs shoulders,
people and land alike.
cerulean seas crash onto
skyscraper battalions,
and on full moon skies,
i can imagine the tides
rising to swallow the skyline.
streets are bustling with
activity even as the midnight hour
slowly fills the air.
the city lets out a sigh
of relief in the early minutes
of dawn,
and i can hear the heartbeat
slowing to a steady rhythm.
mumbai meri jaan, perhaps
you too, are home after all.