Watching the Moon ~ A Poem by Izumi Shikibu

🌙 Watching the Moon, Discovering the Self

In the quiet of dawn, one poet reminds us that self-discovery often comes when we are still enough to see ourselves reflected in the vastness above.

Watching the Moon

Isumi Shikibu

Watching the moon
at dawn
solitary, mid-sky,
I knew myself completely,
no part left out.

Source

Reflection:

Isumi Shikibu’s poem reminds us that clarity often comes not through noise, but through silence. The solitary moon hanging in the sky at dawn mirrors the solitary moment when we truly see ourselves. In that stillness, nothing is hidden, no part of us remains outside the light. We often look outward for meaning, but here the poet suggests that wholeness arrives when we are attentive, when the quiet presence of the world around us unlocks the hidden presence within us. To watch the moon at dawn is to be invited into a rare space where inner and outer light meet, where self-awareness is complete and undivided.

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Have you ever experienced a moment of solitude where you suddenly felt completely whole, with no part of yourself left outside?