The following text is a guest article by Srishtee Sethi from India

A Partition occurred and we left our home..

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Collected Memories &
Left trunks and boxes behind

Picked up the keys
And left the locks on the latch

Tied up some wheat bread together for the long journey across the border
But left tandoors, clay ovens and kitchens behind

Picked up the Jasmine flowers from the by-lanes of Abbotabad, KPK, Pakistan
But left the silhouettes behind

Picked up the dupatta* for honour
But left our pride behind

Collected all the photographs 
But left the panoramic views of the valley behind 

Collected our relentless passion for freedom
But left behind the youth and juvenescence

Finally took a deep Breath to leave
And broke hearts

A Partition occurred and we left our home..

Srishtee Sethi

*dupatta = stole/shawl

original poem in Hindi

एक विभाजन हुआ 

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यादें समेटी 
बक्से छोड़े 

चाबियाँ उठाई
ताले छोड़े 

रोटियां बांदी 
चूले छोड़े 

चंपा के फूल उठाए
परछाइयां छोड़ी 

चुन्नी उठाई 
आबरू छोड़ी 

तसवीरें समेटी 
नज़ारे छोड़े 

जूनून इकट्ठा किया 
जवानी छोड़ी 

सांस भरी
और दिल तोड़े 

एक विभाजन हुआ