Poem: "cutting and folding"

This poem came out of the April 6, 2010 Poetry Fishbowl.  It was inspired and sponsored by marina_bonomi.  It also features the same protagonist as in the March fishbowl poem "folded wings."  The two morals at the end are poetic paraphrases of Buddhist sayings.

kirigami mage
watches her gentle rival
and shreds green paper

origami mage
envies no glinting scissors
so keeps hands folded

kirigami mage
folds and cuts a spiderweb
to trap her rival

origami mage
folds a gold dragon and flies
over the crude trap

kirigami mage
snips a blizzard of snowflakes
and hurls them skyward

origami mage
replies with a peony
shortening the storm

kirigami mage
strikes back with cherry blossoms
of fading beauty

origami mage
lifts a chrysanthemum shield
and goes on her way

who envies others
does not obtain peace of mind
in this mortal world

be patient in one
moment of anger and you
escape a hundred