Poem: For him, she prays

While in hostel, he wrote,
Dear Amma, This North
Indian city gets rather cold.

I need a thick blanket. I am
losing weight. I believe I
will go bald if I don’t pop a
few shiny potent vitamin pills.

His mother responds, she
understands his pain. Tells
him that her heart is full of
grief for her heir’s discomfort.

In her letter, she tells him to
keep his faith. She had gone
to the temple to pray for him.
For good grades, a well paying
job, and a head full of hair.

For you, she writes, I put fifty
rupees in the hundial ((Hundial: The temple collection box.)). The son
is angry, almost prompted to
ask, is your temple also now
a branch of Western Union?