[God]
by Ravie Shankar Rajan

The tribesman described his mysterious God;
a pious fear oozing from his veins,
eyes burning with intense, religious fervor.


His God came down from the unknown skies;
red, lustrous body glittering in the brilliant sun,
enormous nostrils breathing out waves of hot air,
dazzling verses written on his majestic forehead,
gleaming weapons engulfed in a halo of luminescence,
an aura of supreme power inclosing his bloated body.


A sudden curiosity gripped my mind;
thirst for adventure tickled my senses,
I accompanied the tribesman to see his God.


A big thatched hut came before my eyes;
Its doorway guarded by grotesque sculptures,
fear struck people standing in respectful silence,
wizened priests muttering mysterious chants;
I entered the temple and saw the God;
It was a red German weather balloon.