Shhh!

End October, the 1400 year-old Ginkgo Tree of the Guanyin Temple in Xi'an City, China, turns to gold, dropping thousands of brilliant leaves. People come from around the world to photograph the wonder. 

Beneath this online photo we read: "A monk poses for visitors in front of the tree in full autumn color."  May I make a correction and assure all of us - the monk is not posing for first world photographers. He's sitting. Just sitting, and present to the venerable tree, which falling leaves are raining on his straw hat. 

This is an important picture to hold, in a culture persistently forgetful of stillness, silence, presence—exhausted with shopping and news of more violence.

Young monk
on golden pond,

forgive the intrusion.

I'll sit beside you, 

behind you,

quietly;

you won't know that I am there.

You're not looking at the Buddha,

not even at the tree,

but listening to every tap

of Ginkgo-leaf

on your wide brimmed bamboo hat,

grateful for its gifts—

   the shade made,

   the air purified,

   the oxygen produced,

   the two-tiered beauty offered,

   now

in the fullness of

surrender.