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What Would Buddha Say? - April 5

Posted by ivoryfishbone on April 6, 2008 - 00:24

The Buddhists had an urn, some tins
of cakes and when you shuffled out
of class across the concrete floor, nuns
would offer you a cup of tea, a bun.
Their robes the colour of arterial blood
heads shaved. They'd given up all
worldly goods, owned nothing but
their smiles and some warm socks
because they rose at five to meditate.
Slowly the place was finished off.
Planed smooth and painted pale
as Peace. The floors red carpeted
and then the tea room with its
trestle tables was tiled white, a bar
installed and there in pride of place
- Italian coffee by machine that swooshed
out steam to foam the milk. They
charged and volunteer baristas
took orders for Panini. The smiles
were somehow the shape of profit.
Now I don't go.

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Comments

anipani | April 6, 2008 - 10:58

'Planed smooth and painted pale
as Peace.' how evocative, really enjoyed this, reminded me of my confirmation, at which point I turned my back on organised religion, when my vicar, who had been as evangelical as possible, addressed the Bishop as 'My Lord'. it is the smallest of details that shout out the realities of ideologies, and belief systems. Good radar.

ivoryfishbone | April 6, 2008 - 21:30

Thanks for that.
It is strange what can put you off. The oddest things.
x

Redrecon | May 22, 2008 - 22:24

Wonderfully descriptive. It's a shame when somewhere you felt connected to changes for the worst.

Anywho, glad to see you're still around.

mark_yelland-brown | June 21, 2008 - 10:48

At the same time, I'm kinda glad that my judgement of people is not necessarily the reality, but my response, coupled with my expectations.
And I'm a religious nut, on purpose!!