A statue of the Buddha sits calmly,

waist-deep in the rubble of Bhaktapur.
Ancient buildings lay shattered around him,
and in the country of his birth more than 7,000 people have died.

Sniffer dogs have now stopped searching,
the smell of cremation is omnipresent,
and everywhere there is great grieving and homelessness.

In the stranded, crushed villages there are limited resources and no power.
Soon the monsoons will arrive.

Rice needs to be planted now,
Fallen buildings need to be cleared now,
Repairs need to be made swiftly
Or a new disaster will come with the heavy rains.

“May the precious bodhicitta
Arise where it has not arisen
And where it has arisen may it not decay,
But increase further and further.”

A statue of the Buddha sits calmly.

Relephant:

A Prayer for Nepal. {Poem}

~

Author: Linda Lewis

Editor: Travis May

Photo: Wikimedia