in a foreign land seeking opportunity, offering labor and skill, hoping for kindness. Instead, reviled, dehumanized, confronted by anger, threatened with hatred and violence. We live in the prison of conformity, separated by screens and pixels, barricaded behind walls of glass and concrete, while homeless people shiver outside our closed doors. Jesus and Siddhartha rejected frames of normalcy, forgoing earthly attachment, challenging the status quo, choosing instead to heal the sick, feed the poor, comfort the weak, empower the downtrodden. Prophets will not be found in church, temple, mosque, or synagogue. They are not residing in the great beyond, longing to hear your self-serving prayer. They are too busy for such luxury. Gods are busy here on Earth, busy holding hands of the rejected, outside, on the street, in the alley, at the camps. Busy breaking bread with outcasts, enjoying songs and dance with misfits. They are busy blessing those disadvantaged souls who are unwelcome at your table. While you are busy working to pay for what you don’t really need, while you are busy shopping for the latest fashion, while you are busy sitting in your fortress, watching reality television, Gods and prophets are busy making a difference. © 2025 Bruno Talerico Stafford challenge 111/365.
Desert Dweller 