"Gift Shop Ganesh"
By Anthony Roberts
The tall white stranger
sits and claps during the Aarti
watching the divine fire passed
its smoke drifts over me
Marvel in awe
at the marble
carved by hand with delicacy
artisans who labored
before sending it away
to a land they would never see
Feet feel cool marble beneath
a respite from the heat
of the press of people
who entreat the Murtis
to intercede on their behalf
I’m simply a stranger seeking peace
my hands clasped as “namaskar”
is spoken to me and recited in return
I don’t see the divinity in me
just the reflection of what others see
in the water that flows in the Abhishek
that follows the Aarti
“Namaskar”
as I pass through the door
with my gift shop Ganesh
accompanying me
a set of three
remover of obstacles
bringer of prosperity
a reminder of a moment of peace
in a place that welcomed me
Anthony Roberts is a veteran of Baltimore and Afghanistan. He currently lives in New Jersey in a home with beautiful views and interlocking fields of fire.
He is the author of Pigtown and The Clearing Barrel.
You can follow him here.
This week on the Savage Wonder Podcast…
Josh Francis is a Marine veteran who is now a stand-up comic working across the US. A former writer at VET TV, Josh was raised with heavy comedic influences in his life. He embodies not only the flexibility and adaptability of the functional veteran, but the entrepreneurial spirit and discipline necessary to succeed as a comic.
Folks - this is the show you’ve been waiting all season to see.
Starting this Saturday night, we launch The 39 Steps, a parody of the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock. This play includes all the suspense of a civilian becoming mistakenly caught up in a spy ring, but with the hilarity of 4 actors taking on all 150 parts —sometimes even simultaneously — all while inserting references and puns to several famous Hitchcock films. Winner of the 2008 Tony for Best Play, the Drama Desk Award for Unique Theatrical Experience, and the 2007 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Comedy.
It’s a great show, but we’re making it even more special. How do you pull off train scenes, car chases, fights, and jumping off a bridge when you’re doing a staged reading in a parlor? SOUND EFFECTS. That’s right, we’re introducing all LIVE sound effects - it’s the kind of variety act experience you just can’t get anywhere else. You don’t want to miss this.
As always, you’re welcome to show up and hope for a cancellation. But if you really want to see the show, why not book now and save yourself the uncertainty?