standing alone

empty skies, and beyond—one hawk,
two white gulls, between riverbanks—lazing,
drifting wind-drifted—easy prey,
up and back, following—their own pleasure.
all grassblades—scorched in frost, still-hung
spiderwebs—the loom of origins, tangling
heaven—also human ways, and me
standing—toward the ten thousand sources of sorrow.

—tu fu (712-770)
translated from the chinese by david hinton, in my own hearing (2020)

Rendering of "Narcissus Garden," installation by Yayoi Kusama, Atlanta Botanical Garden, 2018