Sunday January 30
*
A glimpse
upon 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 the way over the plain
of Markhamgang
to where a building
of shining yellow stands
in the place they call Gartok
at the Gelukpa monastery
of Markham
Within its depths
stands there
in benign serenity
Maitreya Buddha of the times to come
and Tsongkapha founder
of Geluk lineage among those he taught
Thence south along the Drong chu
beyond village of Biru
on to Bum nye
to the village of Pangda
home of the great merchant
Pangdatsang of Lhassa fame
There to cross upon the span
the Drong chu heading east
over the Bum la pass
once Qing rulers claimed that here
Tibet ended China began
268 years they ruled
10 emperors came and went
but still their rule
but held for naught
in this mountain land
until their end
when government communist
rose to power in Beijing
Then on across the
Hung la to Labyabsho
Look beautiful one
at these vast high cliffs
over the roiling green sparkling water
we've returned to Mekong Da chu
and there below us
town of Tsakalho
above the precipitous plunge
Over nine hundred metres
near three thousand feet is it
from where gravel grates
beneath the feet on its worn streets
to where the water
rushes upon the rocks below
so far that it's inhabitants
can but hear the water
from their lofty place
until they carefully make their way
down to its edge to where
calm pans of brine sit beneath
intense mountain light
and the tsah salt crystals grow
beneath upon their floor
to be carried up into the heights
to this place upon the trading route
that leads the intrepid
to Lhassa so far away
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
Lotus blossoms rest
upon the window sill
and so we wait
two as one
we our effort
real and lasting
slight gentle
beautiful one
January 27
* courtesy of A Luminous Diamond (Bright) Crystal Show productions.
reference material for the poem is courtesy of the Footprint Tibet handbook by Gyurme Dorje.