Worship

I saw that Old man Offering Prayers To the Mother Goddess Amidst The chanting Of the mantras The observance Of the religious Rites, rituals… And fragrance Of the incense, Not forgetting Lighting of the Holy fire. In between The yajna Whenever He got those Little breaks, When the purohit Found himself Busy with all and Sundry… The old man Never missed A chance to berate His wife, before The audience, Pulling her on Every little Thing she might Have done a-miss While arranging for The Puja. He had forgotten She was as old As he seemed to be, She was frail and feeble, Her body ridden with Arthritis. He remembered He was the Man of the House and so Had every right To pick on his wife, Whose eyes brimmed With tears, being sneered By him before the Onlookers. Yet, as every Subservient Wife does, She kept quiet. Her silent tears Didn't move The old man. He continued Worshipping The mother goddess Unperturbed by his Wife's state of Unfolding misery. I kept wondering If the goddess Would accept the Prayers of this Ardent devotee Who's trying So many ways To appease her From day long Fasts to endless Sacrifices of Money, time And animals… All for this Stone idol of a Deity. Yet, this devout Hindu doesn't Respect the Living and Breathing… Grihalakshmi Of his home and Hearth. (Theme: Hypocrisy)