Kitchen God Poem by Prabhakar Subramaniam

She kept hidden
In the kitchen
Behind pots and pans
The alien deity she had taken to
During boarding school;
As her husband was home
Only during weekends
She didn't light lamps
Or pray to the pantheon
She was born to
On week days,
Didn't observe
Any auspicious days
Fast or place offerings
Or visit temples
Like her neighbours
Her children too
Carried pictures
Of mother's god
Inside books
Of weak subjects
Then switched their objects
Of worship
When father was back;
They didn't think
Any of their gods were false
Or that there was only one true god
Left little to chance
Prayed to everyone
When they sat for exams.