I stepped out of Sunday Mass
barely onto the road and
straight into his temple.

Instructed the taxi driver
"take me home."
but he wanted to introduce me to his idols,
personally.

His Buddhas are strung up like pork,
clinging to his rear view mirror
while clay fairies play false
instruments behind my back.

Impatient,
I asked for his strongest talisman
to match up with mine.
 
He handed over a picture
from beside the speed dial.
"This gets me home safe."

Two boys beamed at me in matching singlets,
they couldn't have been older than seven.

Quietly, I returned it to him
with no stronger gods to offer.