| AMIDA TRUST | |
Poetry Baie de Somme by Dharmavidya David Brazier |
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In the Baie de Somme Desolate marshland harbours Sanctuaried birds. Eyes at rest on green flatland We too find repose. The seascape's pure jade Smooth as lapis lazuli. Black cormorant fish And in the distance, mist rises. Is it real that other shore? As in the Pure Land The houses of Cayeux sur Mer Are decked out with net. Flowers take the place of jewels For the summer festival. Egrats on the mud Sociable along the shore Show off their fine plumes. Forget old wars. Here at last This is sanctuaried land. Holiday makers Decorative like fireflies, Promenade at dusk. Their defiance of grey skies Prompts the shy moon to peep out. Across the water, Tranquil estuary by day, Neon lights glitter. Field birds flew home at twilight. Gulls stay up late for tit-bits. At the water's edge They pause: shall he take her hand, Become young sweet-hearts? The exquisite moment past They share sweet spun candy floss. The litter of night The morning tide will remove; So worry not now What fire flies will do by day When the moon has gone away. The church bell for mass Competes with amorous doves To announce morning. Mournful gulls recelaim the sands. Last night's revellers sleep on. Are those clamorous doves Not the kalavinka birds, The gulls, white lotus buds? Little bell, ding dong, ding dong, Do you sing Amida's song? Amorous revellers Still doze on, to be refreshed In sleep's oasis. Competing clamour of life Falls away: ding dong, ding dong. And still the white gulls Blossom along the sea edge As the tide is turned. The doves spread their wings and fly Languidly toward the West. Dh.D.J. Brazier NOTE: The poem, Baie de Somme, records a visit to Northern France in 2001. Each verse is in the form of a tanka, a Japanese verse form following a 5 7 5 7 7 syllable pattern. The 12 verses fall into three sections of 4 verses each. The poem contains allusions to Sukhavati, Amida's Pure Land sanctuary in the west, also known as the “other shore”, where the ground is smooth as lapis, all is festooned with nets of jewels, kalavinka birds sing the Dharma, and all is well. |