Shiva's Smile

I have a friend who
says he doesn't understand poetry or
believe in God.

But one morning sitting
on the wide stone steps of a temple tank
we saw a kingfisher

And he said
Can you imagine someone inventing that color?
Dreaming up that exact shade of blue?

It's Amazing.

And I laughed
because what is poetry if not the shimmer
of amazement

And what is amazement
if not the blue shimmer of Affirmation?

But all I said was: Yes.
It's Amazing.

(and somewhere Shiva smiled)