Reece Burkaauthor

The poetic city: “Vanishing Buddha”

Oct 03, 2022 • Creative Writing, Environment

When shadows offer us depth. (Photo by: Reece Burka)

“Vanishing Buddha”

Whenever I leave my sitting spot

the little Buddha in the woods

vanishes.

My sitting spot is the only place

from which he can be seen.

From any other viewpoint

he doesn’t exist.

Someone just 10 feet away

would only see a jumble of

rocks, mud, and tree roots

beside the rushing waters

of the creek.

Which is to say that I am

the only person in the world

who can see my little Buddha

because no one knows how

to find my sitting spot…

And I am not telling.

Reece Burka

8/19/2022

———

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