Turbulent the sea

The devastation in the archipelago of Japan is massive. I remain at a loss for words. Prayer seems more appropriate. In the face of nature’s wrath, it is a reminder of what Japanese poet Kobayashi Issa once wrote: “In this world, we walk on the roof of hell, gazing at flowers.” I hope the worse is over for the Japanese. But it is worth remembering that for all of our dazzling technology and ingenuity, we hominids still stand naked before Mother Earth and live or die at her whim.

Turbulent the sea—
across to Sado stretches
the Milky Way
     -- Matsuo Basho