Shrine Stolen, Billboard Empire Toppled

They took my mother’s roadside shrine, so I took their entire billboard empire.

When I left town for five months to care for my sick uncle, the small shrine

my mother and I built still stood beside my land—just a framed photo, marigolds,

incense, and a brass bell that rang softly whenever trucks passed the highway

where she died in an accident years ago. It wasn’t flashy, but it was sacred

to me. When I returned, it was gone, replaced by a massive LED billboard flashing

ads day and night for a local media company. I walked into their office and asked

where the shrine was. The owner barely looked up and said it was an “unauthorized