Sunday July 4
*
A glimpse up toward the way
from base of the steep climb
to the leading light of my long day
patiently making her way
slight gentle beautiful determined bright one
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 quiet walk to place of Tenger's gift
beside the spirit trees
as their branches stir and their leaves rustle
whispering in dry summer wind
amongst the jewelweed
as grapevines climb above in magnificent arcs
and of the journey from hill Dolmari
upon the Nang chu as it flows to Nangdo
and great Yalong Dza Chu
Thence over pass Lhatse Kari La
towards Yangtze Dri chu to return again
and the ancient kingdom
where with fierce and noble mien
it's ruler once would proudly say
that from Ling Gesar long ago
warrior king of lasting fame
had his family lineage come
into being in the world
Lingtsang is it's name
on our way we see
high above the Yangtze Dri chu there
far above it's flowing power
upon pinnacle in the heights
clinging to rock immensity
Dzungo monastery
of Nyingma lineage
Then to arrive at Lingtsang
where Sakyapa monastery stands
adorned with it's distinctive stripes
to look out upon a vast fertile plain
where Tibetans toil with sickles
amongst the swaying barley
it's grain to fill the granary
its stubble to fire into the wind
Thence on to Langtang Dolma Lhakhang
temple one of the twelve
built by King Songsten Gampo and his Queens
to calm the forces of Tibetan land
within this place of sacred wonder
thirteen centuries has it withstood
look beautiful one
it's Tara's visage
gazing out at us
for Dolma is her Tibetan name
compassionate protectoress of Tibetan life
A wonder of hope and courage is this
for not so long ago
ignobly in a pile
fettered with a ragged tag
scrawled upon with Chinese letters
her image lay
in warehouse in Beijing
where light filtered reluctantly
through dusty air
stirred by opened door
rarely if at all
one artifact among the countless
deemed of little use
for decades since rude passage
upon rumbling smoking army truck
but Tibetans did not forget
Tenpa Dargye struggled through the years
business is his trade
as Lhalung Pelyi Dorje once heeded her voice
so too he took upon himself her part
with persistence and tenacity
her image he returned
to its place of wonder
before tear dimmed eyes
that thought her forever lost
as a gentle reminder
that she had never really left
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 afternoon
of our summer 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
June 30
* courtesy of A Luminous Diamond (Bright) Crystal Show productions.
reference material for the poem is courtesy of the Footprint Tibet handbook by Gyurme Dorje.