The Angelfish sails
currents in coral cauldrons -
her compass the sun.
I am a great believer of nature as a teacher. In 2010 I managed to recover from a severe case of depression/anxiety disorder by pushing myself to travel South East Asia, but more specifically what solidified a true change in my outlook was learning how to scuba dive and observing nature on the reef in its multitudinal complexity.
I have always experienced the quietening of mind in wilderness environments, as many do, but it has never been so pronounced as when I learned to dive in 2010. In a matter of months I transformed from someone who couldn't sleep more than 4 hours/night because of my worries and busy thoughts, to someone who could act decisively with clarity of mind.
In his poem, "Proud Songster", Thomas Hardy expresses how the human spirit is healed through observing nature.
These are brand new birds of twelvemonths' growing,
Which a year ago, or less than twain,
No finches were, nor nightingales,
Nor thrushes,
But only particles of grain,
And earth, and air, and rain.
Poem Excerpt: Thomas Hardy
The simple patterns in nature remove the veil of confusion created by all our synthetic creations. By observing the cyclic motifs in the natural process we leave space to simply be, and in that being comes peace, and in that peace comes healing.
To read more about the aesthetics of true haiku, and the difference between haiku and senryu, please check out my post: Haiku Vs Senryu - The Aesthetics of Form
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