Gold [Free Verse]

I wonder how the Buddha 
would feel about always being
depicted in Gold?

If the desire that he warned
about had color, surely
it would be Gold.

Nobody has ever murdered
over teal or mauve or cornflower
(heated words with
contractors notwithstanding)
but Gold's body-count is staggering.

Helen's puny thousand ships have
been multiplied over by orders
of magnitude for the cause of Gold.

I think the Buddha, looking at his
reflection in one of those well-
polished Gold statues would say,
"Did I teach you nothing?"

DAILY PHOTO: White Buddha, Blue Sky

DAILY PHOTO: The Big Buddha of Pai

DAILY PHOTO: Scenes from Happy Valley Buddhist Monastery (a.k.a. Shedup Choepelling Gompa)

DAILY PHOTO: Three Views of the Dalai Lama Hill Buddha

DAILY PHOTO: Pagoda Row, Fo Guang Shan [佛光山]

DAILY PHOTO: Wat Pha Bong, Chiang Mai

Image

DAILY PHOTO: Guardian Lions of Wat Mae Yen

Stingproof [Haiku]

the Buddha sits:
untroubled by the bees
enticed by garlands.

DAILY PHOTO: Scenes from the Main Shrine of Fo Guang Shan