Poem for Siddhārtha Gautama of the Shākyas: The Original Buddha
By June Jordan
You say, “Close your eye to the butterfly!”
I say, “Don’t blink!”
Notes:
From Directed by Desire: The Complete Poems of June Jordan (2005), Copper Canyon Press, © 2005, 2023, June M. Jordan Literary Estate Trust. Reprinted by permission.
This poem is part of the portfolio “Our Way Home: June Jordan.” You can read the rest of the portfolio in the November 2023 issue.
Source: Poetry (November 2023)