Taking Down A
Trellis
the
bound sticks already wither & fall;
the
gourd’s leaves turn wilted & sparse—
since
its white flowers managed to bear fruit
how
can green vines not accept this dismantling—
autumn
insects’ voices haven’t gone away;
sparrows
at dusk: what can they be thinking—
in
the cold, things now fall to waste;
human
life also has its beginnings
based on Du Fu: 除架
chú jià
Image links to its
source on Wiki Commons:
“Early Autumn”: Qian
Wuan. 13th Century; ink & colors on paper scroll.
Public domain
Amazing to read such an old account of an activity (neatly transplanted to English, btw) that has changed very little! Anyone who has taken down a piece of trellis will know exactly what he's on about! And it's not so long since I sat watching a flock of sparrows all sitting the rungs of a trellis, all keeping an eye out for any crumbs I might let fall.
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