Great Soul

Great soul
with skin wrapped
tightly on your bones
and loincloth
wound around
your hips ,
you walk to the sea
staff in hand
to make salt.
You spin
to make cloth.
You fast and mediate
and receive .
Great soul you’ve
been thrown off trains,
yet your peace remains,
and to you
violence
becomes
an intellectual
and spiritual refrain .
You make requests
that enemies
trust and
care well
for each other.
Great soul
even you
were tempted
by lust,
by your very blood,
and naked
you slept
with young girls

in great embrace
attempting to tame
the beast within,
which sometimes
simply
refused to behave .
Great soul
your thoughtful sins
were all forgiven,
the instant
the bullet
went
point blank
through your skin ,
and you became
Mahatma.
From “No Subject Here Just Light ” by PWChaltas