aayoungthe hindu woman
avoids the utterance
of her husband’s name
because it is believed
each time she speaks his name
it brings him closer to death
i ask no forgiveness for
feeling silk wedding knots
wrapped around my throat
my pilgrimage to india
and saying your name in my sleep
my lips broaden into a smile
when experiencing the impact
a ballet of collisions
seen
felt
heard
what a drummer
must do with his body
in the act of making music
while fighting shiva’s war
slamming membranes into life
striking sand atop cymbals into glass
grand ganesha
one day
i shall be a content mouse
living beneath
your shattering altar