Reflection On Impermanence in Nature
The recent spell of warm, dry weather has made my morning walks especially enjoyable to explore impermanence in nature as part of my Buddhist Practice. Clear skies, warm sunshine and the chance to chat with neighbours walking their dogs are also pleasures I never take for granted.
But there is another simple pleasure that will soon disappear.
At this time of year the footpaths crossing the harvested wheat fields are covered with dry stalks and empty husks that crunch gently beneath each step. In only a few days these same fields will be turned, leaving muddy paths ready for the next season.
Farmers rarely need reminding about impermanence. Every harvest teaches the lesson again. Every season quietly gives way to the next. This is impermanence in nature.
As Buddhists, we recognise this same truth in our own lives. Nothing remains unchanged. Every moment is part of an endless cycle of arising, passing away and beginning again.
Today’s haiku grew from that simple walk across a field that was already preparing to become something new.
Haiku
“Empty husks carpet
Summer yields to waiting earth—
Nothing stays the same.“
“Harvest path beneath—
every footstep leaves behind
what it cannot keep.“
From “Stillness | Moments of Buddhist Practice in Verse”
Stillness is a collection of haiku, senryu and short reflective poems inspired by my Buddhist practice, meditation, pilgrimage and the quiet moments of everyday life. Sometimes a few carefully chosen words can express what a much longer article cannot.
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*Inpermanance*
🤣you beat me to it🤣
I just realised I spelt that wrong…🤣
‘Every footsteps leaves behind what it cannot keep’ it’s pure poetry, and in fact every thing is poetry in the making. You’ve expressed permanance well!
Lovely. I so agree about economy of words. I love the haiku in two verses too, I’ve never come across that before.
Occasionally I make it up as I go along. But if I remember rightly Jack Kerouac used to do a lot of freestyle too
I think that the best writing often happens that way, just by letting it flow. I do much the same.