resplendent Goddess
when you become
we will worship you
with flowers, the best
roses we shall decree
lotuses, pink-gold, fifty-five petals no less
incense mesmerising intoxicating
only the pure can visit
they must fast a whole day
and half
pine, plan for a year or two
before they visit you
we will enshrine you in marble
from European shores
inlaid lapis lazuli
outside
peacocks in the garden
fountains bursting colours
we will worship you
your visage, your body anointed
in red, yellow
your face smooth turmeric paste
our lives, our desires, our dreams
shall writhe at your feet
we will worship you
in return you must burn
first from the inside:
dry out the desire
that keeps you awake
dried-twig-like crush under your feet
those dreams that glisten
forgotten in your eyes
thoughts that anger
want to tear you apart
you must wash it out
wring yourself bone-dry
the hard bones you must crush
then they cannot support
and you will crawl
jelly like amorphous moulding
how we want you to
next your skin
it must burn
flake curl into itself
beautiful eyes unseeing
hands crippled
breast waist fingers lips
conjoined mass
you must burn
the insides the outsides
the brain the mind the soul
the heart the earlobes
the swirls of your stomach
the legs and the in between
nothing
left with nothing
consuming fire
burnt
and now you are a Goddess
we will worship you.
Poet’s Bio: Mona Dash writes fiction and poetry. Her work includes: ‘Untamed Heart’ (Tara India Research Press, 2016), her first novel and two poetry collections, ‘Dawn- Drops’ (Writer’s Workshop, 2001) and ‘A certain way’ (Skylark Publications, UK 2016). Mona was awarded a ‘Poet of excellence’ award in the House of Lords’ in 2016. Mona leads a double life; a telecoms Engineer and an MBA, she works as a sales manager in a global technology organization. Originally from India, she lives in London.
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