Wesak Day - I Thought Of You Poem by john tiong chunghoo

i thought of you
the licking of my hands
a rough warm pad with
your saliva overflowing
with that animal instinct
of love, of kindness

i thought of you
two cocked ears and
a wet black nose with that
friendly nudge to wake
me up in a bright room
that seemed to say to me too
the day is not meant for sleeping
two animals with nothing
common but warmth, blood and love

i thought of you the way
they opened you up
like a canned stuff
so quiet you had laid
as the knife glided through
the last remaining seconds of your life
though you had been well endowed
a shell and fine legs for water and land
death is such a revolting thing
in all the quiet it sprouted
terrible legs and hands
like a hairraising
tarantula running up
my uncovered legs

the ceasing seconds churned
the heart of an onlooker
walking between the
wobbling planks of demise

i thought of you
as they sliced you down
tearing you greedily down
by your tough coat
from head to tail
in just a few minutes
my sensitivity was given an overhaul
my heart raced to the ends of the world
with no boundary

i thought of you
as you climbed the stairs
with your eighty year old bones
your hands tight on the railings
my heart shook like a 10 year trishaw
with rickety fear for your strength

i thought of you and
the buddha's words
that all you need now are
some of my prayers for salvation

you may have them
you may have them
today is wesak day
let the worlds be lighted
with our love for all the realms
sadhu sadhu sadhu