They Kissed

Krishna kissed Mirabai,
lightning kissed her poet’s soul,
filling her mouth
with words and wonder.

He kissed her.
Kissed her hard,
claimed her as His,
caring little for the claims 
the rest of world
had put upon her. 

Gems traded for jesses,
she knew freedom
flying in His sky
towards the targets 
He set her upon.

Love inflamed her,
became her shield
against all 
who wished to ground her. 

Mirabai kissed her Lord back.
She kissed Him
with every word,
every song,
that passed her lips.

She kissed Him.



Process Note: Mirabai (also known as Mira or Meera) was a Hindu mystic devoted to Krishna. There are many beautiful poems attributed to her that speak of her devotion in romantic terms. These poems are considered part of the Bhakti tradition of devotion.

This poem was inspired by the prompt given over at Imaginary Gardens With Real Toads: Harrows and Hallows

26 comments:

  1. Oh goodness...deep sigh. This is so passionate and so complete in its passion. I love the naming and claiming of one another. So beautiful.

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    1. Thanks Hannah! I was glad I was able to capture that part of Mirabai's legend. The poems attributed to her are pretty passionate too.

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  2. So filled with passion and devotion! You could feel her heart fill in your words. Just beyond lovely!

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    1. Devotion plays a very strong aspect of what I was trying to get across. In India, Mirabai is revered as a saint.

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  3. Oh what sensuous captivating passion to fruit in poetic prowess. Perfect

    Thanks for dropping in to read mine Rommy

    Much love...

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  4. Sounds like forbidden love to me. That kind is sooo much more exciting. Plus, men like to claim. Women? I dunno.
    ..

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    1. It sort of was. This poem is based on the legend of Mirabai, a woman who was a princess in India, married off to a prince, but who lived her whole life in devotion to the Hindu god Krishna. Besides breaking down caste barriers and eschewing the luxuries of being royalty, a big part of her devotional practice was writing steamy love poetry dedicated to Krisha. I completely agree with you on the "claim" part, though at least it seems from the reading I've done that Krishna was more tender to his paramours than Zeus was. :D

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  5. I love how you tied together the erotic and the hallow.

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    1. It's one of the reasons I chose to write the poem about Mirabai. She is still honored as a saint in India to this day, but her love poetry to Krishna is pretty steamy stuff!

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  6. Gave me very pleasurable shivers...both at their shared passion and her delight at freedom :D XXX

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  7. There is much torture in the fiery kiss of Eros -- labors to be performed in service to the kiss, quests in the dark forest, grails to bring home. The harrow is the work, hallowed by the purity of the love. Whatever call we have to this writing is enflamed and chained to the same principle ... Nicely done!

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    1. Exactly! As a devotee of Krishna Mirabai willingly engaged in behaviors quite scandalous for her place in society (breaking down caste barriers for one) to her family's extreme disapproval. There are several parts of her legend where they try to kill her, but her devotion to Krishna saves her in the end.

      Also, as you point out, it is that love she feels that binds her tightly to this path, so she knows hardship and ecstasy in equal measure.

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  8. I like the different approach this prompt inspired. Devotion to a god necessitates both the hallows and the harrowing, to be sure.

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    1. Right, she strove to lead a life of complete devotion, which brought plenty of hardships.

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  9. Love, love, love the tone of this poem... the way in which it uses religious myth to show us that sometimes devotion is both chain and freedom, loving and (in some ways, through different eyes) oppressive.

    And yes, I love the song too. ♥

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    1. I've read several of Mirabai's poems before, and they are filled both with joyous ecstasy and sadness depending on how clearly she is feeling her connection to Krishna. Besides those highs and lows, she also had to deal with a family trying to kill her. It would have been far easier to give the whole thing up and enjoy her status as royalty! But I really wanted to introduce the idea that although there was sacrifice in trying herself to this path of devotion and it wasn't just one cosmic orgasm after another, to her, the price was worth it.

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  10. Beautiful, strong, achingly sparse and full of its own and a very universal human truth--that love is a deity which gives us wings we never knew were there, flies us at its own targets, and captures as well as frees us--I love the falcon metaphor, especially. Thanks for the introduction to Mirabai as well.

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    1. I was pleased the connotations of both freedom and servitude came across.

      Rumi gets a lot of attention, but I feel Mirabai's poetry should be just as well known too!

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  11. Fascinating! I have always liked the name but never known the story.

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    1. The story is cool. The poetry attributed to her is pretty nifty too!

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