With utter abandon
She runs
Gangly limbs
All astrewn
Head rolled back
Now lolling
Side to side
She runs
Only for the joy
It seems
Of running
Down Bengali Tola
And as my camera
Finally finds her
She finds me
With wide eyes
And lost abandon
Interrupted joy
A stutter step
Then slows
To a purposeful jog
Eyes locked on mine
Then askance
As she passes me
Continuing down
Old Bengali Tola
Down the narrow road
She goes
With every stride
Finding again her joy
And nary a glance
Back to me
Soon to disappear
Down Bengali Tola
While her
Little form
Gets littler
I wonder
Has Bengali Tola
Been the main road
Of ancient Kashi
For all its 4,000 years
I wonder
How many little girls
Have run down it
With complete
Unconscious joy
This narrow road
Bengali Tola
Running through
Kashi’s heart
And now upon it
This little girl
She’s run
Through mine
Down Bengali Tola
She ran
Bengali Tola
Kashi (Old Varanasi)
Uttar Pradesh, India
Taken during travels, 2017