You ever see those Buddhist monks
who spend months placing grains of sand
into those intricate mandala art pieces?
Once finished their masterpiece is
ceremonially shown to all who wish to see.
Everyone attempts to preserve
to photograph or at least remember
what will soon no longer be.
Then the monks sweep their masterpiece
into a pile and scoop it into a bag
to be poured into a nearby river.
Everyone winces
wonders “why?”
and wishes it lasted longer.
Except for the monks who understand:
Tokyo (a collection of sand castles).
The Bible (a note passed around the classroom).
Humanity (a gasp of life on a spec of dust).
the Sun (a flash in the pan of time).
The Universe (a cosmic recycling program).
Smiling as it comes together
and is and falls apart
is the only sensible thing.

By: Ethan Maurice
February 26, 2020
Photo by: @randomsky