A wish for happiness

The morning bright and hot
An intricate pale stupa
Set against a blue sky
The bird seller
Sitting on the temple steps
Head wrapped in cloth
Bamboo traps trembling at his feet
Small cityscapes filled with white wings
One delicate cage quivering on my open palm
The door opening, bursting
Fluttering softness and lightness into the air
My eyes open and close, open and close
A wish for happiness
And pure beauty
Unleashed into the summer morning
Your fingers wrapped around mine
Looking to the blue sky
But glancing down again
Dazzled by the light
The wings, the dreams
The stories of the Buddha
Painted on the temple walls
In bold colours
These small figures
Walking round and round
Following the steps
Surrounded by bright lotus flowers
And pale robes
The three of us prophesied
By this bird seller
This portent of the Buddha
This god of summer