“Sitting quietly, doing nothing, Spring comes, and the grass grows, by itself.”
— Matsuo Bashō
Welcome old and new subscribers. As some readers know, calligraphy has been my way to learn and meditate on Chinese language. Thoughts and observations often form during practice and come out in various shapes. Today’s poem about the word for ‘sit’ permits, indeed URGES you to sit on the floor more!
Sitting quietly, after Bashō
坐 (zuò) — to sit. Two people (人, radical 9) sit on the ground (土, radical 32).
Before we had pubs we sat on the ground
to quench our thirst. Squatted by watering holes,
perched on haunches. Long in the Achilles.
Before 9 ended with 5 we sat on the ground,
playing, resting. Rested some more before the hunt.
Mūlādhāra unclogged.
Before we had TV we sat on the ground,
just fire for warmth. Wayang flickered on faces.
Characters arced from equinox to equinox.
Before there were tables we sat on the ground
to eat. Gravity was our laxative.
We defecated better, slept better.
Before we had phones we sat on the ground,
scrolled the universe. Elbows grated on scorched steppes.
Threw back our heads, consumed the stars.
Before there were zoom rooms we sat on the ground.
We met in circles, not tiny squares. No passcode,
no glitches. You appeared in HD; smiled loudly :)
Before there were thrones we sat on the ground,
beggars among kings.
Doodled in the same dirt.
Before we could walk we sat on the ground.
Eye to eye with knees and wildflowers,
cheek to cheek with bugs and worms.
Soily kisses for our parents.
Before ten thousand things filled our days we were
two people sitting quietly,
doing nothing.
Spring came, grass grew by itself.