If you meet
The Buddha on the Road
Shake his hand for me
If you meet
The Buddha
On
The Road
If you see him coming by the way
If you note his gait before you know his face
If you know his train was due at three
Be sure to run ahead
Be sure to grab his bags
Be sure to offer him my greetings
If you meet the Buddha on the Road
If you meet the
Buddha
On
The Road
Tell him this for me:
I dig the Ancients
Babe
I think the East
Is cool
I think he has a lot to offer
I think that we should seek for common ground
I think it's shameful others
Don't feel quite the same
If you meet
The Buddha on the road
Be sure to make the requisite distinctions
Explaining my position carefully
Give him a day
Give him two
If necessary
Leave some
Literature
Lying around
Be still
And listen
Listen for your chance
The chance to drop
The word
The chance
To drop
The hint
The chance
To make
Our mark
If you meet the Buddha on the road
Write a
Kind of
Ironic sort of poem
About the urge of Christians to proselytize
Be sure to mention all their silly little tricks
Make reference to their strange electric network
Reveal their underlying fear and pride
Make everybody laugh
At
Them
Impress
Your friends
Impress your friends with tolerance
Impress your friends with words of Universal Love
Impress your friends
Into your private army
Give 'em a knowing twinkle with your eye
Add a line like this
Add a clever line like this
Add a stanza
Much like
This
With hints of redoubling the infinite
Mirrored self-conscious regression
To show them your self-deprecation
And deprecate that as well
If you meet the Buddha do not offer
The answer to a single unasked question
Tell him what you've done
Tell him what you know
Tell him
Your very deepest thoughts
But do not tell
This Buddha
On the
Road
Just who
You really
Are
I mean you could
But then you'd have to kill him
("If you meet" © Copyright
1997 by J. J. Hayes. All rights reserved.
For reprint permissions email J. J. Hayes.)
