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at the shiva temple near the
railway station,
samkara stamps a left foot on
a tarred road;
trim,
walks the summer sun,
a grin clothing him thin.
places boulders, left-overs from
road repairs,
in a straight line,
unhurting traffic.
shredding newspapers,
folds the line into an
irregular circle.
shares a lineage with narayanathu
pranthan (mad narayanan)
of long ago;
spent a life rolling stones uphill,
freeing them downhill;
laughing.
rejected help of a generous Kali
at the cremation grounds,
their home.
Kali persisted, prandan gave in.
"shorten or lengthen my life," demanded my man.
"that's not in my power," replied Kali.
"then why the offer," asked my man.
samkara is.
needs nothing, is nothing.
a reticent passion string them.
undone by common desires,
littering trails with advaitic charms.
the city has many rejects.