deepundergroundpoetry.com
The insignificant
Today's dewdrop world
Is much more cosmopolitan.
Ago, the dewdrop evaporated
From the leaf, leaving behind
Just a memory of grief.
Now it is full of charged particles
Bacteria and eukaryotes,
Tardigrades in no particular hurry.
Stored on microscope slides
And photos on hard drives
And memes around the World Wide Web.
Poor Issa: Even impermanence seems lost today.
Is much more cosmopolitan.
Ago, the dewdrop evaporated
From the leaf, leaving behind
Just a memory of grief.
Now it is full of charged particles
Bacteria and eukaryotes,
Tardigrades in no particular hurry.
Stored on microscope slides
And photos on hard drives
And memes around the World Wide Web.
Poor Issa: Even impermanence seems lost today.
Published 9th Oct 2018
Author's Note
Issa's poetry examined the minute and the insignificant, focusing on frogs, grasshoppers, blades of grass. He saw the marvelous in the ordinary. When his daughter died, he wrote this poem:
The world of dew
Is the world of dew
And yet, and yet.
Sometimes "the world of dew" is translated instead as "The dewdrop world." In either case, it's a poem about grief, impermanence, and the significance of small things - such as the life of a toddler.
The world of dew
Is the world of dew
And yet, and yet.
Sometimes "the world of dew" is translated instead as "The dewdrop world." In either case, it's a poem about grief, impermanence, and the significance of small things - such as the life of a toddler.
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