Five Poems

Montri Umavijani

At the Place

I  will  be  better  off,
if  I  do  not  speak:
the  kindred  appearance
is  broken,
as  the  word  is  spoken.

The Stupas

The  stupas
beckon  to  heaven
with  the  backs  of  their  hands:
they  ask
to  have  heaven  come  down
and  man  go  over.

Mahayana

Myriads  of  Buddhas  sit
in  latticed  stupas,
whose  teachings  are  unheard,
while  the  unseen  one
behind  and  above
is  speaking  the  word.

At the Top of the Stupas

Even  heaven
dared  not  make  itself  felt
around  the  stupas  in  ruins;
heaven  merely  attended
to  an  indifference
greater  than  itself.

On Arrival

I  will  bring  with  me
the  flowers  that  have  leapt
to  the  top  stupa
and  dissolved  into
a  dilatory  memory.