When I think of all the wars that have been fought
To define or defy those lines
Dear child, I worry about your interest in flags
And boundaries. I wonder how you think of borders
At age seven. Are they like homes you visit
With others’ permission, where you are supposed to be
On your best behaviour?

Or are they like chalk-lines on your playground
Deciding penalties or big wins, depending on how
They’re overcome? ‎You ask questions, know all
The answers, and have learned acronyms
To show when a land is occupied. What
Do you make of it all? You salute the Indian flag
With pride, and ownership. You ask about shared borders,
Brexit, and make songs about reverse colonies.

We speak of the mixed blessing
That is a YouTube education.
But you are a creature of this world
And perhaps will make it sane
Armed just with your hunger to learn
And that unerring sense of fair play.