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.