So, I’m drawn to your religion On the basis of aesthetic. I want to feel the way that Golden, plump, laughing Buddha Feels without having to read the stories. I want to embrace the wu wei-- Whatever that means-- I want to sit criss-crossed In the long, naples yellow grass With no ticks. In the orange afternoon sun With no nighttime. I want to worship at a smoky altar And feel the arms of My Goddess wrap around me. Hear her voice: slow, smooth, but stern. “Thank you,” for the sacrifice. I want to be divine--God Gaze down from the Heavens And take pride in my light Like I am your son; I want to be free of the burden Of my humanness, Lifted, Cleansed, Purified. I wish to be free of desire And so it is the desire which ails me. And I curse nothing more Than I curse my hungry heart And my faulty mind. Lifted, Cleansed, Purified.