‘Living Buddhas Need Passports’ by Florence Major The Society December 1, 2014 Poetry 2 Comments To incarnate legally─ No reincarnates can be found In Beijing’s atheist compound─ In this city where dead is dead─ A reincarnate could lose his head! No passports may be issued now To souls returning once again─ The Dalai Lama must disavow That he remembers more than men─ The frightened leaders in Beijing To guarantee their full control Are sifting through the afterbirth To weed out any twice born soul─ Millions of Buddhists look askance When oxymorons start to dance─ Once Herod dared to stake out polls But Jesus too escaped the rolls─ What fun, the Dalai Lama laughs─ These Chinese leaders try to kill What does not die, what is reborn─ Tibet still lives though it was shorn─ All tyrants try to kill the past Erase the goodness that was done─ Defile compassion as a mask To rule with fear and loaded guns─ Now even Heaven is under rule By Beijing’s tyrants all reborn─ They sharpened all their buried tools And donned their attitudes of scorn─ O mothers can you guarantee The babe you carry is quite new? And got its passport in your womb (That will expire when life is through). Florence Major©8/9/2007 Note: From The Times August 4, 2007 Jane Macartney in Beijing “Tibet’s living Buddhas have been banned from reincarnation without permission from China’s atheist leaders. The ban is included in new rules intended to assert Beijing’s authority over Tibet’s restive and deeply Buddhist people. “The so-called reincarnated living Buddha without government approval is illegal and invalid,” according to the order, which comes into effect on September 1, 2007.” Chinese Communist Party is officially atheist. The real reason behind it is so that when the Dalai Lama passes away, the Chinese regime will be able to choose their own Dalai Lama to further lead Tibet and the Tibetan people into subjugation. Florence Major: I am an artist/poet born in Montreal, Quebec, and live in New York City. These are some of the publications in which my poems have appeared: Chaffey Review, Cerise Press, Qarrtsiluni, Willows Wept Review, Moonshot Magazine, Anatomy & Etymology, Mythic Delirium, Illumen, Strange Horizons, The Germ and Spark, A Creative Anthology. Featured Image: Tibetan painting of Amitābha Buddha in Sukhāvatī NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Trending now: 2 Responses Anita December 6, 2014 It’s really a nice and useful piece of info. I’m glad that you shared this helpful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thanks for sharing. Reply Florence Major December 12, 2014 Thank you for your kind response, Anita. I’m always gratified when a poem pleases and imparts what may be new and useful information. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Anita December 6, 2014 It’s really a nice and useful piece of info. I’m glad that you shared this helpful info with us. Please stay us informed like this. Thanks for sharing. Reply
Florence Major December 12, 2014 Thank you for your kind response, Anita. I’m always gratified when a poem pleases and imparts what may be new and useful information. Reply