The Himalayan *‘Son et lumière’ plays,
God seems closer; sky, mountain, earth, touch,
Fingers of radiance brush morning eyes,
Prayers rise to meet Him, author of the show.
The snake plant turns red at monsoon-time,
Emerging from a bed of fallen leaves.
Shifting shadowy light paints it shades of pink,
Swinging monkey tails change trees to dust-colored.
The **langurs remain ashy and black in all light.
The orderly herd of grey elephants on the dry river bed
Sometimes clear, often vanish in changing light.
The cab climbs the winding road.
The black vultures turn shadowy,
Skin and bone skeletons, some standing by the roadside,
Some left behind in the crooked tree
In deepening dusk light.
The thick-misted valley elicits prayers for safety.
God replies, lights the road, lifts the mists,
As the *** Shivaliks
Stand clear in answered prayer.
* ‘Son et lumière’ is a sound and light entertainment show that usually takes place at nights, in places that have historical significance.
** Langurs – a species of monkey
*** Shivaliks – the Shivalik is a mountain range of the outer Himalayas
Written by Kavita Ezekiel Mendonca
