“If there had been only one Buddhist in the woodpile”
That cynical idealist, realist poet of the people once pondered.
That cynical idealist, realist poet of the people once pondered.
Substitute Waco, Texas with any and all absurdity of violence
Before then, until now and beyond tomorrow
Before then, until now and beyond tomorrow
If Isis, the Egyptian mother goddess protector of all
had been in the woodpile in Iraq
had been in the woodpile in Iraq
could the children have been saved?
the Christians, Yazidi, Sunni,
the young men killed
by black masked executioners
their faces well hidden
Isis: they have taken your name in vain
perverted your purpose.
Could any power prevent mass murder, carnage, brutality?
Only consciousness can
Not Bodhisattva or saint-like consciousness
Not Bodhisattva or saint-like consciousness
But the tiniest bit of wonder before the infinite universe
A modest intimation of human spirit
One clear glimpse of beauty, goodness, love
In an instant might engender compassion
for the pain, suffering and sorrow of "the other"
That glimmer of consciousness might have asked:
"With my life, here and now, what will I do?
What do I wish to bring into being, to experience?
Men of war have ever said thus:
“I will assert and secure my power over the weak and helpless"
through terror, torture, rape and death
Shedding blood of innocents with the arrogance of zeal
Such is the history of the world
a "nightmare from which we are trying to awaken,"
And what will the warriors rule over
these modern hoards at the gates of civilization?
Chaos and devastation?
Keeping watch, lest the same thing befall them
Born of the pain and malice they engendered in others?
No deus ex machina descends upon us.
While the Buddhists wait and meditate
Clapping one hand
