on a smoky summer day
gasping
waiting for the arrival
of the Water-Splashing Festival
yet inside the gilded temple
my heart is cool
as a white porcelain Kwan Yin*
when I see
a little girl's devoted hands
gilding an idol
while at the same time putting
a sweet smile
on her own face
* Kwan Yin, Bodhisattva and Goddess of Mercy and Compassion