This month’s guest poet(s) are from Japan and China. I’ve been reading a great book of poetry titled The Poetry of Impermanence, Mindfulness, and Joy, edited by John Brehm (Wisdom Publications 2017). The book is a treasure of spiritual inspiration on the three subjects of the title. Today, and in coming months, I will share some of the pieces that spoke to me the most.
Today’s post focuses on “impermanence,” a key Buddhist tenet that is just common sense: nothing stays the same; everything changes; what arises, departs; that which has a beginning also has an end. Pretty straightforward stuff; however, many people don’t care to think about losing what is most dear, including their own lives. Heady stuff.
Editor, John Brehm, begins his “Introduction” with the statement, “No poem can last for long unless it speaks, even if obliquely, to some essential human concern. Impermanence is a fact of living, so that makes it and “essential concern.” Brehm also reminds us that impermanence may be the oldest theme in literature.
So, here you go . . .
This world of dew
is only the world of dew –
and yet . . . and yet . . .
Kobayashi Issa (1763-1828) Translated by Robert Hass
The moon is a house
in which the mind is master.
Look very closely”
only impermanence lasts.
The floating world, too, will pass
Ikkyu Sojun (1394 – 1481) Translated by Robert Hass
The world? Moonlit
Drops shaken
From the crane’s bill.
Eihei Dogen (1200 – 1253) Translated by Lucien Stryk / Takashi Ikemoto
They laugh at me, “Hey farm boy!
Skinny head, your hat’s not tall enough
and your belt goes around you twice!”
It’s not that I don’t know what’s in . . .
If you don’t have the cash, forget it.
But someday I’ll get rich for sure,
and then I’ll wear a big, tall
Buddhist gravestone on my head
Han Shan (ninth century) Translated by J. P. Seaton
To finish in a bit of diversity, here’s one from a Swedish poet
Death stoops over me.
I’m a problem in chess. He
has the solution
Tomas Tranströmer Translated by Robin Fulton
Background
As a poet, I am always interested in other poets’ work (actually all writers of almost all genres). It is wonderful, not only to let the poems wash over me, but also to take time to de-compose the technical side of the work. How does the writer/poet get the point across? Is the method straightforward or veiled? What technical components does the writer use, such as metaphor, a poetic form (e.g., haiku), or enjambment? Writing is a miracle to me, and I’ve always been in love with words – yup, right from the first day of first grade. One of my favorite explorations depends on diversity, i.e., writers (translations needed for my appreciation) from different countries and cultures. How do they see the world? Across the centuries, what, if anything, has changed in poetic themes? Will the piece stand the proverbial test of time? Does my own work measure up, or at least stand as a sincere artist?
Exploration 1: Are you comfortable with the theme of impermanence? Sex and death are two subjects many of us would rather not discuss in polite company. These topics are almost taboo. Why?
Exploration 2: Do you notice a thread in the poems above, other than their common theme of impermanence?
Exploration 3: Which of the above poems most spoke to you? Why? Conversely, which one put you off, if any?
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