Not the dust upon the sandal,
Nor the stain upon the hand,
But the bitter, searing scandal
Spoken 'cross a whispered land.
For the tongue, a serpent's hiss,
Poisoning the air it breathes,
Leaves a mark no holy kiss
Nor ritual water frees.
The heart's dark well, a murky flow,
Where resentment's waters rise,
Unclean currents start to show
In the malice of the eyes.
What defiles is not external guise,
But the venom that within us lies.