November Haiku

I recently walked a path along which lay the halos of fallen ginkgo leaves — golden and somber in perfect coronas on the ground.  They were stately, the way haikus are stately, as only certain emotions of grief and quiet vulnerability can be.

In these waning days of a month in which we mark both All Souls and All Saints days before the journey into Advent, I am grateful for the poignance of voices that remind us that however luminous our joys, they are seasoned with sadnesses that, in time, reshape us, and lend us deeper wisdom.

Here are two by the great Japanese master, Matsuo Basho.  They are worth savoring.

 

In this autumn,

Why I get older?

The clouds and birds.

 

Winter Solitude

 

 

Blessings on your day.  Kathleen

(image from Green Thumbs Garden website)