The sound of the Gion Shōja bells echoes the impermanence of all things;
the colour of the sāla flowers reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline.
The proud do not endure, they are like a dream on a spring night;
the mighty fall at last, they are as dust before the wind.
The Tale of the Heike; 12th century, Japan.
West of the Blue Mountains, Oz; winter 2013
