Paper lotus

An uneasy calm I felt in
The separation of one from another. 
I thumbed through one leaf, 
Turned one edge up for a gather—
Line for line and dot for dot.
The paper was limned in maroon. Poised 
In the corners were four characters. 

I pushed the End against the Border, 
Revealing Happiness right across the World. 
I garnered twelve arrowheads to encase
One sliver of words with two
Just like it, tucked neatly between my
Middle and ring fingers (whispering
Namo amitabhaya, 

Namo amitabhaya), whilst I bound them all
With a red band. A large star anise rose 
From the centre of my palm. I pleated 
The petals to point skywards, not down, 
So that it would look like a lotus flower 
In bloom, but in askance, a simple gesture,
A quiet hand—my hidden signature.

Dale Chou
2012-07-23