Holy Man - Rishikesh …

The River Ganga,

clear

powerful

descending

from the mountains 

to wind

amongst the smooth

scattered 

stones

of the valley,

into whose floor

was constructed

a small cell,

open

to the sky,

with walls

of beaten earth

floor of polished brick,

& at one end

an alcove

containing a pot

a pan

a few belongings,

the only furniture

a grass mat

upon which rested

a holy man

who looked up

& gently beckoned

that I enter,

leave behind sandals

the dust from my feet,

jump down 

and join him

in quiet worship

before the simple shrine

recessed in the wall,

amidst 

the immensity of silence

out there

on the plain

close to

the relentless passage

of the River Ganga.