Kali Temple

Shops along the street
Trinkets being sold
Flowers for the gsds
Red hue powders as a sign
Shoes off in a shop
Walking barefoot through the street
Huge, old structure
Beauty that is deceiving
Throngs of people standing in line
People from the city
People from the village
Hours they wait
Waiting to see their gsd

In the temple courts
Like the Jerusalem temple court of old
Commerce taking place
Flowers to be bought
Fruit to be presented
Goats to be sacrificed
Sacrifices to appease their gsd

Gsds of every shape
Gsds of every form
"Here is a fertility tree gsd."
"Here is the fire of Brahmin."
"Here is a statue of Vishnu."
A place of sacrifice
Several goats an hour
Buy it
Bring it to the chopping block
Drums roll
Head in the groove
Body stretched taunt
Whack
Blood
Blood to satisfy the hunger of their gsd

Into the temple structure
Man reading Sanskrit
Only he can read the scripture
Rich telling him their problems
Only he can intercede
Only he can communicate
Communicate words of need and want to their gsd

An inner chamber holds the rock
The rock all are waiting to see
On it is painted three eyes
Kali is its name
Cram your body to the front
A glimpse is all you get
Throw your sacrifice at the image
Desperation
Need
Want
Longing
Longing to be seen by their gsd

A man suspended with red paint
Ready for your forehead
Showing you have done the ritual today
Hoping it was enough
Enough to be blessed by their gsd

Out of the madness to a tranquil place
A pool of water
Holy Ganges water
Bathing
Cleansing
Washing
Washing to be clean before their gsd

Outside the temple
On the street
A hand
A plea
"Bhakksheesh"
"Rice"
"Madam"
"Please"
A boy about 12 years old
Holding my left arm
Having nothing I can give
Shaking my arm free
Sickened
Saddened
"Help them" I plead
Plead to my Gsd

Cookies in my hand
Beggars everywhere
Two little girls in need
Squatting down beside
Handing them a snack
"ÁC loves you.
He gives peace."
Not sure if they understood
Sending up a pryer
A pryer for their souls to my Gsd

Tears streaming down my face
Heart broken for the millions
A question running through my head
"What if
What if this was the only way you knew
The only way you knew to communicate with your gsd?"