I saw gold on top of the hill.
Towering and staring down at me.
The moment I saw it,
I wondered if I could reach it.
I had seen the statues before,
Standing nearby a pagoda,
Yet I could never get that far.
Today I was in luck.
There were steps leading to the statue,
Like skin attached,
Bridging the gap
From two marauding tattoos.
I drank the first bamboo juice of my life,
Turned towards the stairs that ascended,
Like one living a long life.
At the top, I was panting,
My heart was beating,
Fast enough to end my own life.
I breathed in and out,
Calmed my nerves,
Then turned towards the statue.
It stood still,
No panic or gasping breaths,
But a towering figure in deep rest,
As if it had been there for eternity,
As if it hadn’t moved for eternity.