Searching by Ila Railkar

We searched for him
in shops adorned with holly and glitter;
At Christmas parties in nice hotels,
even in glorious, steepled churches.
Yet, on that cold Christmas Eve,
we could not find him.

We heard his voice, though,
His sweet voice said he was born already
in the detention camp for foreigners,
on the boat swarming with refugees--
on the footpath at midnight;
Why did you not search for me there?
Asked a gentle voice.

Ila Railkar is a poet from India and a doctor by profession. Her work has been published in Indian Review, Blue River Review, One Sentence Poems, and elsewhere.