from whence I came
the city of Taichung
sprawls over the plain
while over to the east
are the unspoilt lands
stretching ever onwards
to the lofty mountains
of central Taiwan
cousins of the great
Himalayas themselves.
The temple opposite
on the distant hill
that reflects the rays
of the setting sun
seems like a portal
to mysterious realms
in the deep interior
its golden Buddha
towering regally over
the valleys beneath.
My head warns me
to return home safely
before the night falls
but yet my heart
under the temple’s
subtle spell hears
the sage’s muted call
and is drawn eastward
longing to travel on
and on for might not
Shangri-La lie beyond?