Homesick

I catch
in this humid salty breeze
a whiff of my country.
Thousands of miles away.

My stomach rumbles like the sea
for warm peanuts
as brown as my skin; peppered
with cries of vendors
and the laughter of family.

I see a trail of footprints
on the golden sand.
My brother’s?
As he runs with his kite,
while I collect seashells.

My toes tingle at the familiar touch
of cold waves that beckon me
to an ocean of memories…

I lick the salt off my cheeks
alone,
alone,
alone
on an alien shore.

Appeared in Inspired by Tagore