Manasa Temple Poem by Bijay Kant Dubey

Into the small Manasa temple
Near the neem tree
The charmers
Freed the cobras
Off the baskets
During the worship,
Cobras
For to be caught new,
To be freed
Letting them go.

How do they Manasa Goddess,
The Snake Goddess,
The Folk Goddess,
The Daughter of Shiva,
The Clearer of Poison and Sting,
I still see it them
Worshipping
The Snake Goddess,
Singing the song of Bihula and Lakhinder
In a submissive voice
And praying to the Divine
For poison-cleansing?