Sunday December 26
*
A glimpse
forth on the steep climb
to the leading light of my long day
slight gentle beautiful determined bright one
patiently making her way
she firmly alone firmly herself
to quietly remind me
that not so far away
for she I we two
our warm and bright future day
And to her then to say to tell
of our standing within
the Derge Parkhang
to look again upon the handmade paper
resting upon the the bench
beside the block upon which
it will be inscribed
To our nostrils
the smell
as savory as a bowl of soup
of glue
melting in a pot
above the glowing embers
it to be brushed
upon the block
then to it
the handmade paper
is pressed
it to dry upon the surface
a guide for those
who carve
It to be formed
with tools of sharpened iron
cunningly wrought with shapes
of Vs and Us and Ls
or simply straight or curved
they to fly through the wood
without a single hesitation
then the chips to fly
from the forming
image and word
Upon another bench the ink is made
charcoal of pine
and gum arabic
patiently mixed
for the awaiting task
upon the block
it is brushed
with smooth strokes
covered with shining pigment
but the paper is yet to come
For it must be made
from the bark of trees
ground to pulp
mixed with water
and sifted upon a screen
it to dry in the mountain light
pressed upon a screen
thin straight and tight
Then upon the wet block
it's placed
to be rolled upon
with a roller of wood
with quick pushes to and fro
Then with one motion
up it comes with it's wondrous
message and images
it to dry among others
trimmed then arranged
into the sacred text
Far will it go
hundreds of miles
upon the stark
vastness of the plateau
to monastery in the mountains high
where curtains of ice roam
among the crags
or bustling marketplace of Lhassa
or nomad tent billowing to and fro
in the mountain wind
in a high pasture
where the grass sways beside
a great lake glowing as a jewel
beneath the mountain sky
or to the lands below perhaps
from great Himalaya
hidden in a pouch
to Dharamsala to bring
a precious remnant to those
who carry on in the world
exiled from their native land
All this not so wonderful
to my straining eyes
as your determined beauty
and swift uplifted grace
that endures with patient dignity
this that I see in you
beneath the open sky
on this morn
of our winter of working and waiting
the first day of our year
Lotus blossoms rest
upon the window sill
and so we wait
two as one
we our effort
real and lasting
slight gentle
beautiful one
December 22
* courtesy of A Luminous Diamond (Bright) Crystal Show productions.
reference material for the poem is courtesy of the Footprint Tibet handbook by Gyurme Dorje.