Life Cycle of a Lotus (Pantoum)

Life Cycle of a Lotus (Pantoum)

The gesture of water in water is
like a white lotus rising from mud,
its blossom emerging pure and unsoiled
in deep silence, standing up to the light.

Like a white lotus rising from mud,
we climb out of our dark beds
in deep silence, standing up to the light,
the seeds of our fruit now sown.

We climb out of our dark beds,
awakened. After three days,
the seeds of our fruit full-sown,
we see a pod floats, face down, petals fallen.

Awakened after three days,
we redress the path for next spring.
We see the pod floats face-down — petals fallen,
the lotus dying to be reborn.

We redress the path for next spring,
minding moon's light, wind, our life's cycle —
the lotus dying to be reborn
as the gesture of water in water is.

© 2013 Maureen E. Doallas