Burning Monk
By Shin Yu Pai
From the remains
of his cremation,
the monks recovered
the seat of Thich Quang Duc’s
consciousness —
a bloodless protest
to awaken the heart
of the oppressor
offered
at the crossing of
Phanh Dinh Phung
& Le Van Duyet
doused in gasoline &
immolated by 4-meter
flames the orange-robed
arhat folded in
the stillness
of full lotus
his body withering
his crown blackening
his flesh charring
his corpse collapsing
his heart refusing to burn
his heart refusing to burn
his heart refusing to burn
Copyright Credit: Shin Yu Pai, "Burning Monk" from Adamantine. Copyright © 2010 by Shin Yu Pai. Reprinted by permission of White Pine Press, www.whitepine.org.
Source: Adamantine (White Pine Press, 2010)