by Ramprasad Sen

Kali

Mind, you’re still not rid of your illusions;
you haven’t seen how Kali is.
You know the Mother manifests
as the three worlds,
but you seem not to know it,
______really.

That Mother who adorns the world
with countless jewels and gold
___aren’t you ashamed to decorate Her
______with trashy tinsel?

That Mother who feeds the world
with myriad tasty treats
___aren’t you ashamed to offer Her
______rice you’ve laid out in the sun, and
______wet chick peas?

If you really knew the Mother who
protects the world with such care,
would you sacrifice
sheep, buffalos, and young goats?

Prasad says,
Devotion is the only true way to worship Her,
You may do rituals to impress other people,
______but the Mother won’t be bribed.

From Singing to the Goddess: Poems to Kali and Uma from Bengal
by Rachel Fell McDermott