Imagination Versus Reality

When I was five years old

I watched the Little Princess

It was filled with scenes from India

Jungle temples, tigers, elephants, exotic bright spices and strange Hindu gods

Since then I’ve longed

Since then I’ve desired

To travel to India

And see

Jungle temples, tigers, elephants, exotic bright spices and strange Hindu gods

Then reality sets in

India is filled with billions of people

There are slums in Calcutta, Delhi and Bombay (Mumbai)

Slums I couldn’t stand

You can’t avoid them

Mumbai’s is right outside the airport

Children begging

Children starving

I could bear

I couldn’t stand

I just want

Jungle temples, tigers, elephants, exotic bright spices and strange Hindu gods

There’s a difference between imagination and reality

Imagination is wonderful

Until the reality sets in

I’m sorry if this poem offends anyone. I know that India is a very beautiful country but it’s also very poor…and I just couldn’t stand the poverty.