“Diptych: Above & Below” by JSP. 28 July 2010. McLeod Ganj, Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India.

shivers shove eyelids up
breaking seal abrupt
ending fireplace dreams
to smell of smiling sun
hiking himalayan ridgerange

brand newborn days rays
misty mystic mountain snow rock
and open torii gate guesthouse door
reveals curious never idle youthful eyes
and burgundy robed buddhist nun

heart tempo upbeat quick triple take
doorways not a tv screen
holy answer above words solace silence
and orange sky creeps up up no fade
nun floats up open roof cement wall hall

to suns light orange breath rays
you follow contemplating contentment containment
and small neat tidy tight green carpet
two tiny beds small black stove
grey fading peeling chipping wood table

one hundred yearyoung learned learning lama
and motions sit alongsidebeside
and glowing knowing nun pours
big black thermos tea topping smile to smile to smile
and your mouth bigger stilleyes unclosing unblinking

and sins rememberedabsolved
and cinematic real guru sits
swollen strong hands shifting prayer beads
silent mouth mantra meditating
and big black thermos retipped repoured

ceramic cups all the way up
and clear white towel absolves
and Thankyou Sukrya
and silence laughs past language limits
and unbeginning unending smile

and butter thick kicks tasty tea
and her eyes give give great great
classrooms quickly erased
and lama handles your big black
buddy holly woody allen henry rollins eyes

wisdom smiling mouth mantra muttering
and nun big deep brown slow squint
her real renouncing black hair shaven
holy head dips down
shaking side to side to side

and mouse rests on your untouchable toes
and lama mouths slowly surely Merica
Canada and makeshift midair cartoon map
and oats gruel crunch chew stomach
starting heart happy eyes busting widening more

tricked taste buds undesiring unsuffering
and laugh laugh laugh emptinessfullness
and door lama hand body mind strong
and sun drips sweat
and himalayas breathe snow slow

[First published in refrain, pp. 39-40.]

:::::

Jason S Polley is Associate Professor at the Department of English Language and Literature. [Click here to read all entries by JSP.]