Golden Smile
(Thailand)
My pencil tickled the page today,
and out came a giant reclining Buddha,
so long I almost had to tilt my notebook sideways.
It shimmered gold, even in graphite.
The pencil whispered—
“This is Wat Pho, where the Buddha smiles softly,
watching the world stretch and breathe.”
Around him I drew tuk-tuks,
buzzing like happy beetles,
and the Chao Phraya River flowing nearby,
carrying boats like drifting thoughts.
Then a secret slipped out:
Bangkok is home to the world’s largest solid gold Buddha,
five and a half tons of shining calm.
I paused, staring at my pencil—
how could a simple stick of wood
hold so much treasure in its tip?
When I signed the page,
the Buddha’s smile felt wider,
as if it was smiling at me too.
✨ If your pencil touched gold, would it sketch riches—or peace?