on the temple's blue floor
pradakshina around the sanctum
crushing ants with naked feet
thinking only of god, or what's weighing
on our minds. heavy
feet, unthinkingly
crushing creatures
on the blue stone floor
another ant scurries to her sister who
writhes in pain, legs groping in slow motion
on the blue stone floor
does she feel pain, and the other, panic
she seems to move anxiously
around her half-crushed sister, seems to
want to carry her in her front legs like a mother
carrying her baby–
in my arms i hold
the ant's pain, and i put it before the god,
he returns it, a flower for my hair
the ants still scurry across
the blue stone floor
other feet carry heavy hearts
around the sanctum
pain
the cessation of pain
prasad.
No comments:
Post a Comment