Ganesh and Me

The smells of urine and incense
fill the air
mixing into something
all it's own
the road is blocked
by people demonstrating
what? taha chaina

buses and taxis
are at a standstill
as the crowd sings
and chants
for a better tomorrow
I take to the sidewalk
dodging half dressed children
and crippled old men
pedaling past a shrine
I notice the smell of
incense is stronger
but the drunk sprawled at the entrance
clues me in to
the power of his god

if that's what it
can be called

nothing more than a
rock housed in a
building ridiculously large
while its adherence
struggle to make ends meet
what power is this?

is it the same that
constructed cathedrals
while parishioners
starved?

is it the same that
constructs mega-churches
while its neighbors
go hungry?

without pointing fingers
i know where the problem lies

it lies in me

one more shrine
one more crowd
one more street kid
and i know
that the only respite
comes from above