Thoughts of Swamiji from Five Blocks Away

Swamiji, you’re in your room
and I’m here at the welfare office
thinking of you.
I’m fortunate
to be so close to you,
and I’ll see you at lunchtime.
My supervisor doesn’t know
and Miss “Femme Fatale” doesn’t know
although I’d tell them more if I could.
For now I have to live within,
praying to Visnu
the Lord of bhakti-yoga.
Swamiji, as I think of your kind glances
and the chanting you’ve brought
to the Lower East Side,
I’m grateful to be your son.
I’ve got so many misconceptions
of spiritual life
and heaps of dirty things in my heart.
You’re changing all that
but I’m just a crawling infant.

Please stay with your children,
Brahmananda, Acyutananda, Kirtanananda, Rupanuga –
don’t leave us
or we’ll all fall down.
I’m praying at the office
to serve your mission
with $134 a week. 
Hearing your lectures every morning,
sometimes I’m alone with you
to ask a question:
“Should I chant Hare Krsna within?”
I’ll see you again, O Spiritual Master,
pure devotee of Lord Krishna,
and I’m living for that.
Please accept this mango.
Harer-nama harer-nama, harer namaiva kevalam.