Small and Large

You see the morning

Breeze moving the smallest hairs,

The caterpillar.

~ Buson

[Englished by Phillip Whidden]

When smallest things obey the smallest laws,

The laws that their small beings want to flee,

These beasts fulfill the cosmic, tallest laws

From size electron microscopically

Discovered to the vastnesses beyond

What James Webb Telescopes might see or know.

The caterpillar’s little hairs respond

To physics’ breezes.  Fuzz replies to blow

Of tiniest of breaths the air might puff

Among the filaments.  From large to small,

From galaxies to tiniest of fluff

The universe holds all of this in thrall.

  In arched up inching creatures measure up

    This fact from black hole down to buttercup.

© Phillip Whidden