Bowing to the Auto God

Bowing To The Auto God

05-09-06 -- Rendo

I sat upon my tricycle,

Quietly hypnotized

By the odd behavior

Of the old woman walking up the street.

I feared her dark eyes

And skin;

The strange colored sheets

And worn gray jacket she chose for clothing.

Months before, I had decided

The Tilaka

Centered on her forehead,

Indicated to me that she was a witch!

Most witches have their rituals:

Passing vehicles

Would stop her travel

She would face each and bow down low.

Cupping her hands in prayer,

Returning upright,

She touched her Tilaka

And mumbled senseless words in rhythm to herself.

Throughout this ritual she muttered

Mostly gibberish

That surely was demonic

Eventhough, I could not understand her words.

Eventually, she reached my position.

Where upon,

She would again bow

Place her hands to her forhead and mutter.

She bowed to my tricycle!

I froze!

Then ran screaming

To my mother for her protection and counsel.

"It's the crazy woman, again!"

I cried.

"She cursed my tricycle!"

Mother smiled and replied: "It's just her way."

I discovered many years afterwards,

The truth.

She was no witch.

Nor, was she bowing to cars and tricycles.

This loving old Indian woman

was bowing

To the people passing

As the law required in her former country.

How foolish I could be

To fear

The old Indian woman

Who showed me the greatest honor of all!