Anthology of Tibetan Poets

     

K.Dhondup

     

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Exile

Exile 
	is a marigold 
		blushing luxuriantly 
			in the morning sun
				luring turquoise bees
				from the beehives
				to suck their honey
Exile 
	is a melody
		for the forgetful souls
			in search of wider horizons
				to cherish and conquer
A gold ring clasping
	round the white finger, exile
		is a memory of a beloved 
			bleeding somewhere behind the 
				high mountains

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Poisons of the Mind

A Tibetan geshe1 came 
in the morning
and spoke about poisons
that grow in our mind 

Poisons on which we depend
and have to depend
for our pleasures
and sorrows.

"Like flowers in a garden,"
he said.
"passion, hatred and anger grow."

"As the bees spend their lives
around the flowers
singing and sucking,"
he continued,
"Human beings spend their lives
with these poisons,
laughing 
or weeping."

¹ A Tibetan Buddhist degree in philosophy, equivalent to a PhD. There are four levels of geshe degree; Lharampa, Tshogrampa, Dorampa and Lingsepa.