This poem is to Thay (TAY) THICH NHAT HAHN (formerly of) PLUM VILLAGE,
Meyrac
47120 Loubes-Bernac
FRANCE

In his brown eyes, softened by light, and time-
I saw my mother’s eyes-
It shocked me at first,
–this warm familiarity

where there should be none–

Yet the chimes of his language (Vietnamese)
I loved to hear, &
Even in English,
His waterfall of ideas
Cascaded and flowed gently-
To my ears,

Soothing me-
Like a mother would if she could–

My own mother had no instructions for me-
I was TOO JUGULAR, TOO IRREGULAR for her,

She had no idea,
At 12 years of age,

I was already letting others
RIP ME APART-
TEAR MY ESSENCE
–STEAL MY DIGNITY.

Yet, here I am-
Whole, and solid,
It’s all there-nothing
Missing.

Just the Mardi Gras of life-
Written on my face
On my body
—scarification, I never wanted-
But I have it, nevertheless.

So, today as gentle
As a
mother would IF she could,

I wash my face,
I brush my hair-

I begin this day,
With hope,
And a little sadness-

For all the years, (really decades)
I gave myself away-

But this morning,
this break of day-

I look in the mirror
And see my mother’s eyes-

And it is enough,
To know that
These eyes,

Were suncatchers, too-
Of a lifetime of smiles,

And it is –
Enough.