Charles Belbin

An Old Chan Temple in the Park, Taipei

Moss here and there
on the old rough-cut stone
steps, greenery around these
steep steps viewed up
through the ‘Enter
Liberation’ gate.  A very
relaxed Guan Yin, at
the first landing, arm
on her knee, calm
reflection, musing
on her face.  Turning up
and up to a memorial hall
platform and the cityscape
all around.  Tablets,
urns, ashes, quiet inside,
an old monk dozing in the corner;
from the platform outside
a view of the metropolis
of being busy.  Zhuangzi
says, the ten thousand
things and we are one.
Quiet as well as hectic
action.  Or emptiness
and form as Guan Yin
might laconically say.
Between the urns and ashes
and the steel and concrete,
the monks and nuns
mindfully breathing in,
breathing out mindfully.