This piece was inspired during my time spent studying abroad in India after a visit to monolithic stone temples sitting on the southeast coast of India named Pancha Rathas, which were part of a 7th century port city called Mahabalipuram. As groups of tourist were walking toward the temples, I noticed two beggars: one female, one male, both crippled and elderly sitting on each side of the pathway. Based on this moment, I wrote this poem to help myself process my thoughts on poverty in India and the tension of wondering if the structure of society as it is now could ever allow for poverty to cease . But as I’ve been reflecting on what it means to observe Advent 
and wait for the coming of Christ, especially the Second Coming; I realized that though originally this piece was written specifically on the ancient pain of poverty, I think that it also uniquely illustrates that sense of waiting for redemption, for all to be made well. It is depicting that moment in between Christ’s coming which brought redeeming hope and Christ’s second coming when we will finally, fully, at last step into that redemption.
