I exit Jama Masjid’s exquisite tranquil beauty
Take a moment outside on the steps
To put on my shoes
Before stepping down
Into the cacophony of civilization

I was told, by many people
India would be a game-changer
Would alter my understanding of everything
In ways that could not be described
Only experienced

But I’d already spent 6 months
Bicycling across China
How much more
Could my understanding
Be altered?

More than I can describe
To those who have not shared
The experience of India
More than I can even describe
To myself