A domesticated husband

Surjeet Aribam

Sitting quietly in morning quietness
And thinking quietly in pervasive quietness
About some quotes from the Gita :
"Do your duty without looking for fruit"
"Mind is your greatest friend

As well as your greatest enemy"--
I remained straining my mind
To comprehend the true meaning of life .
Then, an abrupt voice, pulling me down
From the aerial hights of philosophy
To the plain ground of daily existence--
The voice of my wife reminding me

Of our plan to visit a temple.
Holding two shiny brass plates--
One containing choicest flowers,
The other containing choicest fruits,
We were in the temple courtyard.
After handing over the plates to the priest,

Me and my wife knelt down to pray.
Wondering what to say in my prayer,
I turned a questioning glance at my wife.
And she instructed: 'Pray for a long life,
Pray for material well-being in life,'.
Obeying my wife, I prayed for them.

Now, I changed from a philosopher
Into a docile domesticated husband