“believe in yourself and the world will be at your feet.”
Swami Vivekananda
I have always ridden, pigheadedly, on celestial Vahanas—Durga, Kali, Ganesha’s and any other that would aid me in refusing to befriend my trauma. A palanquin, a horse, an elephant, a boat, a mouse, a lion, a snake, a dog, etc., etc., craning my neck, heckling my tears, demanding them to submission. Suck it, I hollered! In unison, the Vahanas drenched in my salt, their hair flowing like adamant wild storm trees, chanted,
Neighing, humming, hissing, squeaking, woofing, roaring
We’ll wipe your tears with hoofs, wags, thumps and swishes
Denying you being spooked, stumped, saddened or stuck
Jingling, juggling, around and over, between all the glitches.
And so, I rode on, confidently, fast, furiously, grandiosely, eyes penetrating, teeth glistening, befooling folks, befuddling common words, like respect. What’s that? I just kept riding the tides as the years rolled by like barely visible haboobs in lonely desserts, keeping folks at bay with my glowing creamy skin from afar, with a Pinocchio’s nose sifting out the fluff and the riff-raff like irritant tiny weevils from stale rice grains. Through it all, I missed a house full of people even though they’d mostly argued.
*Vahanas: Celestial vehicles
*Durga, Kali, Ganesha: Hindu Goddesses and Gods