Hari Kristnas

When I first encountered
The Hari Krishnas
Back in 1969,
They appeared to be
A radical offshoot
Of the Hippie movement.
They were strangers
In a very strange time.
I first observed them
Selling flowers in airports
And walking the streets
With shaved heads
Wearing bizarre outfits
And singing chants.
I perceived them as
The lunatic fringe
Of the flower child era.
I didn’t see any of them
For almost thirty years,
But when I did,
The ones I met were nothing like
What I remembered.
During that interval,
They had established temples
And religious communities
Across the United States,
And their members
Had become fully integrated
Into traditional society,
Working for a living,
Just like anyone else.
I discovered they are followers
And an ancient faith
Which emanated from India.
Their espousal of vegetarianism
Is definitely in tune
With the times,
And they have become masters
In the art of meatless cooking.
Some of their beliefs,
May still be a bit tough
For many of us to swallow,
But there is a spirit of tranquillity
About the ones I met,
A gentle peacefulness
That I find intriguing.
When I was reintroduced to them,
The Hari Krishna movement
Was in the process
Of constructing
A massive temple in India
Designed to last 1000 years.
It looks like they intend
To be around for a while.