Eunice de Souza
Sacred River
Two logs fastened in the river
for birds to take the waters.
I saw no birds there,
just a cremation or two on the ghats
onlookers at a safe distance,
yet another pregnant half-starved stray dog,
a white man playing at being a sadhu
top knot and all.
But nothing stops faith.
No. Nothing stops faith.
It will be heaven to get out of here.
Eunice de Souza, Necklace of Skulls: Collected Poems,
Penguin Books, 2010.