I have been away for long,
Away from the land where I belong,
Because your home is more beautiful than mine,
Because it gives me the oppurtunity to shine,
In my chosen field.
Because it fulfils my every need
So i stay here, but i live not.

My homeland is a poor place,
Where everyone is caught in the rat race.
It isnt beautiful to behold,
But it is warm, not cold.
It fulfils only my need for meals
And I only know it feels
Like home to me.

When you tell me what I already know,
That it has been a long time and that I should go,
I am offended.
My reasons for staying here defended,
Why shouldn't I want the best?
I came at your behest,
But now I am unwelcome.

If you were in my place,
And sharing our rat race,
You would be at home with me
That is the way I think it should be
With me too, but maybe I am wrong.
Maybe I should have stayed where I belong
And never gone away.

However beautiful your land might be,
However benevolent and free,
With clean roads and fences mended,
And even the poor, well tended,
I will always stay,
Whatever anyone may say,
A stranger in a strange land.

Shefali Chatterjee
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