The Superficial Deity by Shristi Nangalia

She woke up two hours early that day

to take a bath even before it was dawn,

The poor woman was worried for her daughter

but leaving her at home, crying, she was gone.

To mend the grief, she was all set

but, ‘that time of the month’ delayed her ploy.

Since, she was to tour the holy house,

had to returned ablaze, wishing she was boy.

The holy house was far away from her place.

Yet, she had an unwavering trust,

on the spirit who had the power that week

to fulfill all her wishes, to kill all her disgust.

Three days later, she was then eligible,

to visit the deity, and take her favours.

For which she took with her- rupee notes,

all that she collected over the years.

She waited in line for her turn,

Got kicked, and touched, and cursed on the way.

But, it was heavenly when she finally got a glimpse

of the divinity which sat there in brown clay.

She was not even finished reciting the hymn

when the rupee notes were snatched from her

she was then quickly pushed aside, and outside

and joining hands, she came back home in ardour.

Her daughter’s condition was worsening with time,

but she choose to wait like any other true follower.

By the time she almost lost her hope,

Her rupee notes had made its way into the minister’s quarter.

With no option left, she took the little one

to the family that she had, long before, made her foe.

The aunt who was a local nurse took charge

And fixed her daughter, not saying a ‘no’.

That day, the poor woman learnt a few lessons

of whom to trust and whom to ask,

of who is the giver and who is the taker

and of who to believe and who to unmask.