God Kicked Me! Poem by P K Joy

I wanted to enjoy wealth and pleasures.
So, for shortcut I became a communal leader.
The richer adjunct, I realized, was religion.
So, self-styled I became also a spiritual father.
Followers and devotees emerged soon.
They did assure me of money and men.
Unread villagers, rich as well as poor,
Acted like chickens and made me their mother-hen.

I built my ‘temple’ and installed myself as ‘guru’.
Villagers then saw me with reverence and fear.
In disputes and quarrels my verdicts were final.
To go against my decisions the people didn’t dare.
My fire-emitting angry looks made the people shiver.
In general my decisions were fast and fair.
Gainers from my verdicts gave offerings to the temple.
A good part of every gain came as the temple’s share.

Gradually the people shunned the local deity
and came to me for blessings and sins’ expiation.
Confessions and repentance I accepted with grace.
So, people queued up daily for trespasses’ absolution.
Touch-healing, prayer therapy and animal sacrifice
were some of my practices for distress mitigation.
People came from far and near to avail of these treats,
My temple became famous for barrens’ conception.





A section of the villagers I trained in martial art,
and used their muscle power to settle and retaliate,
And in the guise of divine teaching,
I taught them communal hate.
Dividing the people on communal lines,
cleverly I derived massive might.
And to keep one section close to me,
I often aroused a communal fight.

I masterminded terror strikes.
Also ignited communal passion.
I made the people believe
these as parts of godly devotion.
“Our deity hated people who
did not pay him veneration.
The only way to please him was
his rival men’s annihilation”.

Sacrifices, festivals, weddings,
and events of merriment
Were often conducted, and all were
under my financial management.
These events had continually
gone to enlarge my cash savings.
The people gave me lavishly
for fulfilling hearts’ cravings.

All the good things of the village,
I had the privilege to enjoy first.
Anything I desired was readily given.
No one dared to question or resist.
I was the uncrowned king of the place
with the deity’s sacred mantle and rod.
I strained to show to the people that
my love for them wasn’t feigned but good.
Thus when things were going well,
on one night I was suddenly caught.
A gigantic figure in human form
wearing dazzling, long, outfit
Woke me up from sleep and said
“follow me, don’t make noise”
Doors opened themselves for him.
I simply followed like a mouse.
When we reached a vast deserted field,
the huge figure slowed down and stopped.
He grabbed me, furiously shook me and
on both my cheeks heavily slapped.
Several teeth gave way. I howled.
But soon his rebuke enforced silence.
“I’m the God”, he said, “in whose name
you’re cheating the citizens.”
He hit me and kicked me again and again,
one hit or kick for every accusation:
“For your fraudulent setup.
For preaching hatred and passion.
For rampantly misusing my name.
For embezzlement and extortion.
For terrorist acts. For atrocities.
For sexual abuse. For chastity destruction.
For the blessing you have granted.
For the judgments you have passed.
For persecuting men. And for every other
ruthless act and criminal deed.”
He threw me down with a jerk
and kept me pressed hard under his foot.
After a while he raised me and
sternly warned thus, before he left:
“Earn your living by honest work,
not by all these fraudulent means.
If you go back again to the wicked ways,
I’ll tear you up and mince
And feed my vultures and wolves. I wouldn’t
tolerate your god-man nonsense.
I’m giving you just one chance to mend
and will watch your performance.”

When I became conscious, I found myself
writhing in terrible pain.
I was ramshackle and felt that I was
terribly milled and almost slain.
I wasn’t able to get off-ground.
So, lay there helpless, sweat-awash.
At dusk to my luck a rain poured down.
It gave me a drink and a wash.
Twilight helped me to flee from the place
without the label of instant disgrace.
My golden neck chain financed me
to escape into a far off place.

When I resolved to live with honesty,
I received helps from unseen hands.
I got a job there before long.
For a good living it gave me the means.