Annamayya: right now you should be glad

When I’m done being angry,
then I’ll make love.
Right now, you should be glad I’m listening.

When you flash that big smile,
I smile back. It doesn’t mean I’m not angry.
You keep looking at me,
so I look, too. It isn’t right
to ignore the boss.
                         Right now you should be glad.

You say something, and I answer.
That doesn’t make it a conversation.
You call me to bed, I don’t make a fuss.
But unless I want it myself,
it doesn’t count as love.
                         Right now you should be glad.

You hug me, I hug you back.
You can see I’m still burning.
I can’t help it, god on the hill,
if I’m engulfed in your passion.
                         Right now you should be glad.

• Annamayya, God on the Hill: Temple Poems from Tirupati