Kavita A. Jindal
Act of Faith
Act of Faith
Don’t pry don’t ask to whom I pray
if it changes from day to day,
if the entity is male or female
if I fast and for whom
don’t ask, don’t ask.
I know there are forms to fill; spaces where I must
write neatly and in caps,
the beliefs I’ve claimed
dog tags strung tight
around my neck
agnostic, atheist, multi-faith, irreligious, liberal,
gregarious, star-gazer
sun-worshipper
and to top it all
open-minded
yet searching for a word to describe my true religion,
which began one solemn day
when I thought
impermanence could be
invited at will
I wished to be a ribbon of mist trailing in the cold blast of
the stratosphere but found
I’d stayed within
reach of earth; why, I was
still grounded
Drawing breath is an act of faith, one I’ve embraced
running, jumping, keeping
time, sucking in air, choosing to,
each new day
is religion
Monday to Sunday, just living is an act of faith.
