I share this poem and this image, on the first day of April, to kick off National Poetry Month. I recently read this haiku and ached with its poignant relevance. The next day while I was outside walking my dog, I found dewdrops dutifully dripping and snapped this picture. Together, they remind me of a lovingkindness meditation, a practice I often turn to when I find myself safe in my home, pondering the profound suffering of others, individuals and species, next door and across the planet.
May you be healthy and safe.
May you feel happy and at peace.
May dripping dewdrops wash away your suffering.
I don’t believe the ‘perishing world’ in this poem or in our current reality, is as apocalyptic as it sounds. The world is constantly perishing and being born anew. For now, wash what you can. Your hands, the dishes. Help scrub and then rinse away another’s worry, drip by clinging drip. Embrace this perishing world because it is temporary and because, in it, for now, there are still glistening dewdrops.
Thank you, Alison. Such positive thoughts are nourishing in such a difficult time.
Very wise words indeed. ❤