<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div dir="auto" style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; line-break: after-white-space;" class=""><div class="">I opted for the vegetarian menu</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span style="font-size: 14px;" class=""><i class="">Psalm 66:10-16</i></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-size: 14px;" class=""><i class=""><br class=""></i></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-size: 14px;" class=""><i class="">For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.</i></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-size: 14px;" class=""><i class=""><br class=""></i></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-size: 14px;" class=""><i class="">Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.</i></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-size: 14px;" class=""><i class=""><br class=""></i></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-size: 14px;" class=""><i class="">Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.</i></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-size: 14px;" class=""><i class=""><br class=""></i></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-size: 14px;" class=""><i class="">I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,</i></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-size: 14px;" class=""><i class=""><br class=""></i></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-size: 14px;" class=""><i class="">Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.</i></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-size: 14px;" class=""><i class=""><br class=""></i></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-size: 14px;" class=""><i class="">I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.</i></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-size: 14px;" class=""><i class=""><br class=""></i></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-size: 14px;" class=""><i class="">Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.</i></span></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The priest was tall, almost elegant, slim,</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Standing tall the full length of his spine,</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">With a distinguished touch of gray in his beard.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Gestures and smile to match.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">He looked almost a bishop with a bright red robe,</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Quite unlike most of the other Nepali men I’d met.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Rama told us to remain inside</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">For the puja. She sounded rather mysterious.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">It was early. The new sun cast</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Long shadows across the yard</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Close to the chicken coop.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Wooden table draped in white plastic</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Fire growling in a pit.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">All ordered by her order.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I heard the cry of the animal.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">It took me to the window</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">To watch his feet be tied,</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Kicking hind legs immobilized,</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Then laid against the plastic covered table</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">And a swift knife.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">It was over quickly.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">He was hung by the rope that had made him an easy victim.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">His blood draining into a pink plastic pail.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">An acolyte in a white apron</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Finished preparing him for the fire.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The Tibetans had made it illegal to kill so close to His Holiness</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Even with holy intent.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">What I had witnessed was technically a crime, but it seemed</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Quite ordinary for first century Jerusalem.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I was complicit.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The immediate cause of the trouble requiring expiation</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Was my friend Carter,</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The handsome ethnobotanist</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">With a collection of insect eating plants.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">He’d trapped</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Pinguicula, Drosera, Dionaea and Sarracenia,</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Fancy names for tricking insects into their poison pantry.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Not to sound too exotic--</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">He just walked into a shop in Chandigarh, and paid rupees,</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">But still it's the most exotic thread in this tale.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">He complained about the washroom. It always smelled of shit.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">There was a fight. He was expelled. I was never to mention</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The name Carter.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The Venus fly trap would have to kill flies in the washroom of a hostel below</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Where Temple Road meets another path down to Dasha.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Roaming the meat department at Safeway</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The difference in price on the tags pasted onto</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The plastic wrap of meat laid out on the white plastic</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Trays belie that the animal once lived.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">But little other evidence remains of</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">The cries of a live animal.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">When the feast was laid out after the puja</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I noticed that there was still singed hair on the skin</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">Of the legs that I’d seen kicking at the end.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">I opted for the vegetarian menu.</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>- Ken Ireland</div></div></body></html>