“Hangers-on”

Autumn really suits sumi-e ink. Brushed shades of ink invite meditation and reflection. In September and October, activities pick back up even as everything in nature is winding down— you know leaves are falling (or “unleaving” as Hopkins would say). The backdrop of Fall and the brevity of summer’s life and beauty calls me to pause and to consider the impermance of the people and things of my life. Recently, I’ve spoken to some of my Japanese friends about the attention their culture gives to the temporary nature of all things (including humans) — the idea is summed up in the phrase, “mono no aware” . The words, as they have been explained to me, suggest that there is a bittersweet and appreciative feeling that comes from recognizing and accepting the brevity of life and the noble perseverance expressed in the final season. The notion, I believe, warrants consideration though, as CS Lewis would say, this bittersweetness may also be an indication that we humans are made for something more… Anyway, to the Asian mind, the Chrysanthemum flower is the artistic expression of this “autumn joy” because it flourishes when the air becomes cooler. At this time of year in China and Japan, retirees enjoy their gardens and cultivate their mums. “Hangers-on” presents the mum as the host and the two guests— the garden spider and grasshopper— as they wait and hang on during the closing weeks of their lives.