Buddha Light [Free Verse]

Walking the ruins
   of some old Buddhist
   university,

I entered a chamber,
    and found myself
    confronting a Buddha,
    its head obscured by 
    a bolt of sunlight.

I thought it might be like
    one of those Angkor Wat
    crop tops from when Pol Pot
    had the heads chopped off 
    all the Buddhas to make 
    some quick cash.

But the head was intact, 
    just blotted out by blinding light,
    and I blinked my way into sight
    of that serene face.

DAILY PHOTO: Golden

Perspective Impossible [Haiku]

Buddha statue:
 what would its reflection 
  in my eyes look like?

Head in the Clouds [Haiku]

the Buddha's head
 is in blue sky - ringed by clouds,
  or so it seems.

DAILY PHOTO: Sunset at Kandy Lake

Plays No Favorites [Haiku]

sunlight breaks into
 the forest -- not favoring
  the tranquil yogi.

Buddha Still [Haiku]

Buddha is still;
the clouds wander...
one crow caws

DAILY PHOTO: Buddha & Fountain, Ravangla

Taken in May of 2022 in Ravangla, Sikkim

DAILY PHOTO: Seated Buddhas of Swayambhunath

Taken in May of 2018 in Kathmandu

Sun Wukong [Common Meter]

The Monkey King with magic staff
outmatched monsters and gods,
defying the Jade Emperor's
edicts against all odds.

He erased himself from out of 
The Book of Life and Death,
and lived through the Crucible --
nearly holding his breath.

Finally, the gods called Buddha,
though some had their qualms,
but the one thing Monkey couldn't do
was leap from Buddha's palm.