Lord Siva At Square Hills(Sundhara Mahalingam At Sathuragiri) Poem by Rajendran Muthiah

With packets of rice
and some money(some cents) ,
We'd start at noon
and walk across the fields
to the Sathuragiri
where Lord Siva reigns
smelling the herbs around.

Shouts of 'Victory to God'
would rend the air.
Chaining our hands
one to one we'd waltz
through the windy Pass
where the danger of
rolling down to the
dizzying chasm looms large.


pieces of snacks
we'd throw to the monkeys
Beside the stream
we'd sleep for the night.
Never thought of
reptiles or animals wild.
We had the hope,
Mahalingam(Siva) would protect
from the harm or charm
of the snakes and spirits.

We'd resume walk at dawn
over the dungs of elephants
which could have retreated
to dense woods.
While crawling over
the slippery rocks
we should hold the rods inlaid;
lest we should slip
down to the worst.

When we had the glimpse
of Sivalingam at the
tin-sheets roofed
open temple,
our fatigue would go.
No bus or train or winch
only the groundnut-cakes to crunch.
No power to emit light
on the winding hilly routes
some five decades back.
--------