Line On The Black Stone

By Deeksha Mane

The worst nightmare of a mother came true-
the soul of her son in the heavens flew.
Kisa Gotami had him in her arms,
asking for help through streets and farms.

His lids, half-shut, killed her alive.
She ran through the wheat fields, hoping he would survive-
whispered the wheat crops: "He's no more."
Yet she continued, with cuts at her heart's core.

His freezing body gave her a deadly chill,
as the soul escaped through the stitches-nothing left to heal.
Her warm liquid sorrow fell on his face,
but still, the corpse had no movements to trace.

She wanted to bring him back to life,
and heal the wounds given by the fates' knife.
Touched by her grief, came a kind man-
offered her help, all that he can.

He brought her to Buddha and asked for help,
hoping he could hear her heart's yelp.
"For a handful of mustard seeds," asked he,
"I'll bring your child's soul back to thee."

The overwhelmed mother set off for the quest,
but Buddha told her to listen to the rest:
"Seeds must be brought from a house where Death kneels down,
bows to Life and sacrifices its crown."

Till dawn, she searched every house in sight,
but every home had already kissed Death goodnight.
The houses seemed like residential burial grounds,
where people lived with spirits around.

Kisa Gotami understood what Buddha wanted her to be known as-
for Death is a line written on the Black Stone.