Sunday, October 27, 2013

The elephant and the only answer i can find for suffering


folded knees
collapsing forward
is he alive?
and this is all i see:
folded knees
folded skin

without
a face
collapsing knees
folded folded
i stare at his knees
folded skin
is he alive?
without a face
is he alive?
folded knees
without a face

again, again, again

all this for piano keys?

is he alive?

on his knees
folded skin
without a face

how can i stop this?

dear deena, i almost write,
they asked you to help
in tanzania
the herd came
  and blocked
              the road


yes, they call to you and us---

is he alive?
on his knees
folded folded
no face

how do i stop this?
why so much suffering?

  so   my    buddhist friends
went to Portugal
this week

[i should have joined them
to learn the skill

of seeing this elephant
beaded with stars

face restored
upright with

his family
herd all

yes
amid a herd all of happy elephants
flapping ears tusks heart safe]

"it's all samsara"

that's what
Buddha said

the only answer i can find for suffering
 & human torture 

1 comment:

Suzi Banks Baum said...

OH Heidi. I am so happy to have found your blog. Thank you for these poems and for aiming, with your words, to make sense of things...as if that was possible on this springing day where newly pruned quince branches reveal vivid green. If you are interested in a bit of feminine comfort around mothering and all the rest, stop in at my blog. www.laundrylinedivine.com. I will return to yours. xo Suzi