Tiny Gurus
by Lauri Hoffman Bunting
Founder, Poems for Peace
www.poemsforpeace.org
Tiny urchins of the street
Miniature gurus of love
With little fingers pry away
The hard encasement of my heart
Gentle gazes deeply probe
And tap a warm nectar
Intoxication of the soul
Their essence, the anchor
And the wind that let’s me soar
Tiny gurus of Earth and sky
Teach me how
To walk and fly
Immersed in the moment
Allowing each to roll away
Their presence wipes away the past
Deflects thoughts of future days
My camera clicks incessantly
Visual cues for the memory
Chronicles of a cherished day
Concentrated package
Essence of joy and love
Wrapped in a blanket of charcoal skin
Melting chocolate irises
Rejoice with ink-drop pupils
Arking ebony eyelashes
Point skywards
Click
A stoic look, a frozen face
A camera-ready pose
Click, click
Shattered by a belly-full of giggles,
Pinched cheeks
And a row of glistening ivory
Click
Arms embrace
Guru clusters grow
Radiant eyes pierce through darkness
As stars alight the night sky
Click
Baby gurus swarm around
Eager to see what the camera found
Tiny fingers point as faces appear
Staccato squeals of foreign names
A melody of glee
A soft tap tapping of my heart
Melting boundaries
Little gurus of the street
Teachers of the heart
Why are you filled with such joy?
You’re forced to beg
You’re beaten
Victims of father’s drunken rage
You know not of fluffy quilts,
Fuzzy slippers, bed-time-stories
Ice-cream cones, warm snuggles,
Merry-go-rounds and roasted marshmallows
You trust
You love
You graciously receive
You trust
You are not seekers
But the bearers of truth
You fear not raging wind and rain
You are the keepers of the flame
Tiny gurus of the street
Epitome of love
I’m honored to spend this time with you
A gift from up above
Last spring, Buddha Smile School received an invitation for their students to participate in an international poetry exchange called Poems for Peace founded by Lauri Hoffman Bunting, Idaho, USA. In March, 2009, Lauri visited Buddha’s Smile School and was inspired by the children to write “Tiny Gurus.” The student’s poems may be viewed at www.poemsforpeace.org.
