MAP (5) by Ye Chun
5. Lhasa
Seeds tier in a pomegranate.
Sweat beads convex-mirror corners of a night.
You pick up a piece of coal from roadside,
wrap it in a blue and green checked handkerchief
and give it to me: What makes you feel warm?
In the Himalayas, a snow leopard
spins gold in early morning. I tie a prayer flag
to a balloon and let go. Its little feet step through clouds
and rain falls on the white stupas, the hind-scalps
of prostrating pilgrims who say: om mani padme hum, om
mani padme hum, om mani padme hum…
Buddhakapala
(Skullcup of Buddha)
presides over
twenty-five deities
two hands
holding his consort
(Citrasena)
four hands
his skullcup
chopper
ceremonial staff
and drum
In the dancer’s pose
(ardhaparyanka)
he stands on a corpse
supported by a lotus
