Fumie

 Fumie:

“Step”. “I say, tread on my image”.

The picture spoke from the idol to the peasant

In Kyoto, in Seoul, in Chicago, in Cape town

“step, so that you may live to worship me—

you deny me not, when you gently, softly, place 

that callus foot of yours on this image. I live

in all, I am in images, in trees, in the winds

in the mountains, the world is where you

worship me. Tread. My child. Tread. For every step 

you don’t take is every step you find no rest”

The peasant lifted their foot, gently. Softly.

Eyes closed shut, they said a prayer against evil spirits. 

Clinching the hands of the winds, under a lone moon,

as dirt dangled from the soles of their foot

they stepped. The warmth of God, or god, or the gods

never left their hearts as they removed their foot from the idol.