A Pilgrim's Tale - Ancient Greece meets Ireland meets India in a poetic narrative

---

Prologue

Kashi: Forsake mere Chronos pilgrim if thou wouldst approach my gates.


Tale proper

Many, many hours after embarking on their journey, when night has fallen once again, the weary wanderers are greeted by the emissaries of Kashi.

Emissaries of Kashi, adorning seekers with malas: Hail seekers, we bid you welcome.

Nearing the banks of Ganga the seekers offer their votive offerings to that astonishing ma who constantly purifies.

Kashi: To you we bequeath three weddings, for sex, death and birth shine intertwined in my arms.

The seekers disappear into the thronging hordes, the vibrant tumult, the heaving mayhem , devotional frenzy and riotous fray!

An emboldened pilgrim addresses Kashi: Kashi, Venice of the East,
What starbursts of vitality,
Enzymes of spiritual manna,
Lozenges of truth are here?
For embracing death thus we surely sanctify life!

The pilgrim writes: Timeless threshold,
Glamourous magnet,
Munificent beacon,
I have come home!

Ancient current,
Tantric transformer,
Fountain of filth,
Hail!

Blood mother,
Supreme Bo queen,
Tara Smashana,
Eater of skulls,
Bedeck this mortal's empty shell.

By all the elements,
Purify and liberate this soul.
Smoke of this vessel rising prayer like,
spirit softly whispers,
' To you Ganga, I offer my clingfilm self,
Reveal my skeletal essence!'


Deep peace of fire and water

The bones are charred,
the tinselled bier cools now...
'Charon boatman,
ferry me over
lighting the way into
BRAHMA'

---