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This poem is a large fig tree,
a witness to the struggles
of a seeker, smoldering within-
whose body, like the last autumn leaf
brown, emaciated, was about to drop off-
the tree could do nothing save being a shelter,
a prayer for this man ablaze in renunciation-
This poem is a Bodhi tree
This poem is an earthen bowl of payasam*
in the hands of a village maid
who sang a song of the ‘middle-path’
and offered the seeker the delicacy
which the ascetic accepted-
sun and moon rose and set
no manna ever came his way again-
this poem is Sujata’s bowl of sweet-
This poem is a story of enlightenment
of a prince in his thirties
who wished to conquer desire, disease and death-
he had his ‘rafter broken’,
his ‘ridge pole destroyed’-
his ‘mind came to the end of craving’-
he became Peace himself and a Buddha-
this poem is Man’s enlightenment
this poem is a sacred tree that saw a seeker transcend
this poem is a bowl of heavenly sweet that led a seeker
this poem is enlightenment a seeker leaves home for
*milk-rice pudding
The poem is written in Boomerang Metaphor (invented by Hannah Gosselin)
Posted for Poetry Pantry #435 @ Poets United
sumanar/lekha 