Pink, yellow and blue
Lanterns sway, ajummas pray,
Make my dreams come true!
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* ajumma = elderly lady in Korea
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About the poem:
Touring a Buddhist temple in Seoul today, the grounds are decked out with paper lanterns. Each has a blue prayer note attached, with a handwritten request for good health for the family, a successful resolution of a problem, or making a dream come true. As it gets closer to Buddha’s Birthday (May 17 this year), more and more lanterns will be added.
In one building at the temple, a Buddhist monk leads the prayers. Dozens of women (ajummas) sit, kneel and bow at various times. Other than the monk, the men were ’eopsseoyo’ …not there!
In contrast, I was recently in Saudi Arabia, where only the men are allowed to pray together (at the mosque) and women usually pray at home.
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About the author:
Joan Gregerson writes books and blogs about how to enjoy life. She has managed to visit 22 countries and reflects on what is important. The answer is love. Yep, that’s it.
Filed under: Poem, Saudi Arabia, South Korea Tagged: Buddhism, dreams, haiku, lanterns, poemaday, pray, prayer, sway
