Memory of Kyoto

うらを見せ　

おもてを見せて　

散るもみぢ

Showing its back,

showing its front,

falling maple leaf ~ Ryōkan Taigu 良寛大愚 (1758–1831)

One of the countless poems composed praising the beauty of autumn foliage, Kōyō. As fall deepens, the lush forests covering the country’s mountainous landscape slowly transform, taking on spectacular red, orange, and yellow hues.

Fallen leaves to me are the sign of life, part of the perpetual cycle. They fall when they are at the most beautiful, allowing the birth of new leaves.

Kyoto, Japan November 2014