The Poetry of Impermanence
Balder
Not forever on earth; only a little while here.
Be it jade, it shatters.
Be it gold, it breaks.
Be it a quetzal feather, it tears apart.
Not forever on earth; only a little while here.
Like a painting, we will be erased.
Like a flower, we will dry up here on earth.
Like plumed vestments of a precious bird,
That precious bird with the agile neck,
We will come to an end.
april ice storm
new leaves freeze overnight
words fall apart
To what shall
I liken the world?
Moonlight, reflected
In dewdrops,
Shaken from a crane's bill.
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Access: Public
haiku
August 2008 
Beautifil, Bruce, are these original?
Anything in particular inspiring these sentiments?
Be well,
Dave
Hi, Dave,
Thanks. I found them beautiful too, which is why I wanted to find illustrations for them and put them in a blog. I don't know the authors of these poems (except for the last one about the crane, which is by Dogen). I came across the Nahuatl poems in a book on pre-Columbian America, then paired them with some Japanese ones I already had collected.
I don't have anything major in my life that is making me think about impermanence right now (knock on wood), but I have been mindful of it in a general way, looking at different events in the world recently, and just via my Buddhist meditations… The Japanese have a word, sabi, which refers to the beauty that shines forth in the impermanence of things; for me, noticing this, reflecting on it, brings out the preciousness of our existence.
Best wishes,
B.
I like the word sabi. It captures a certain feeling.
Impermanence is always a good thing to keep in mind maybe especially when life seems to be going well.
The image of the cranes is breathtaking. I want to grab a sumi-e brush but there is no replication of such stunning beauty and so I sit back and enjoy.
The haiku is also beautiful. Truth.
“sabi” mmm.
dang…never know what jewels one might find just following erin around…lol
awesome stuff…*