I Saw Buddha Poem by Candice James

I Saw Buddha
© Candice James

I saw the sparkling stain of Buddha's image
on a broken blade of rain-soaked grass.

It was vivid and gleaming
yet soft and retiring.

I stood between the hands of time
atop the shoulders of eternity
high on a mountain of hope
reviewing the unredacted pages of my life.

A symphony arose inside a tragic ballet
And the notes rang clear
In a circle of perfect dance
And cursive composition.

A pregnant twilight grew heavy with expectation
The sky broke
Spilling wisdom's rain
Onto my dry outstretched being;
Delivering droplets of eternal knowledge
Onto my parched soul.

Softly,
In the background
A Vedic hymn grew louder,
Permeated the atmosphere.

Then suddenly,

I saw Buddha
Resting in the curve of a sacred mantra
beneath an age-old banyan tree
and finally,
I understood.