Dashavatara
Chine collee print
5 x 7
2014
Narasimha
The Man-Lion
The evil Asura king
isn’t afraid of anyone.
He’s blessed with immortality
and can’t be killed
by man or god,
day or night.
He makes fun of
his son’s devotion to Lord Vishnu.
If Vishnu is everywhere,
why isn’t he in this pillar?
Wearing my coat white as the moon’s rays,
I spring from the marble
and attack him with shield and sword.
My tongue’s a razor,
my mouth, a mountain cave;
I lift the king and drop him
as an eagle toys with a snake.
I tear him open with my sharpened nails
and throw his corpse across the floor.
In twilight
I lick the blood from my mouth
and garland myself with his intestines.