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Former Poet Laureate Andrew Motion's chosen object is A Hindu wood carving - similar the ones seen in temples and shrines. Andrew purchased it during a trip to India some 30 years ago. Statuettes of this type are common in the homes of Hindus - both in India and abroad. They typically depict Indian gods like Shiva, Hanuman, and Ganesh. Other characters from Indian mythology are also popular. Andrew's carving is of tremendous personal significance. He says it furnishes him with spiritual energy that sustains him during the creative process of writing poetry. Indeed, the former Poet Laureate says that he would be lost without it.