Anagignoskomena's Christmas Carol

Raakhee,

long ago you felt it too
one night
there...

in the mystical chill
when Jessy Fernandes went to church

I saw it through Mama's black floral curtains
after Beatles went silent on the eve

------

see those large Southern Cross stones, tonight
and the crescent moon like a peeled piece of an orange

Feel it
on the streets of Newtown
even as the Police are solving
drunk-boy-racer's homophobic father issues

I saw it in Zakir's eyes and Yahya's words and Muffy's demeanor

the spirit

------

Though Burgerking, hell and dominoes clammed
behind KFC is the Orthodox Church
Mount Vic's answer to History
the Greek goose-pimple

2000 years have passed?

smell the resin-fir incense
touch the old brown wood
see the ancient brownish yellow paintings of Mariam
hear the bearded Brahmins
chanting like Parsis
in a durgah in Ajmer

While Greeks with Turkish eyes, Jewish noses and Iranian eyes....

...listen

Haunts you long after the hour
like Erskine

------

We grew up in Bombay, Francis
not Ohio or Islamabad or Hindustan
Bombay: where Mohammed celebrates Diwali and Christmas

I refuse to cast a stone,
I know faith can move Rangi
I love the Samoan next door

I still cannot offer the other cheek though,
another kick yes.
and I know....

Christ, the son not the Lord, was Buddha,
Moses was Krishna and Crusaders,
the devil's army

------

the Greek church is a lit dome of coloured kaleidoscope
and it's all glass
see it touch it feel it


Silent night....holy night

------

Καλά Χριστούγεννα! (kalá hristúyenna)
Ευτυχισμένο το Νέο Έτος! (eftyhisméno to Néo Étos!)
Καλή χρονιά! (kalí hroñá)