thoughts on impermanence

Impermanence of our human lives scares us.  We’re all aware that no one in this show gets out alive.   Yet the idea that we will be here today and gone tomorrow feels cold and dark.  Iv’e  been thinking a lot about this because three great men, uncles to me, have recently passed.  One right after another.

Awhile back I photographed a series I call “Sunrise from my bed”.  It shows the ephemeral quality of light on my wall as the hour grows and the seasons change.  I think about this series now, as a metaphor for our lives. Light that is ever-growing, ever-changing.  At times delicate, at times bold until it exists almost as an echo illuminating the space. 

“The knowledge of impermanence that haunts our days is their very fragrance” – Rainer Maria Rilke

Saying goodbye is sad but when I look back on the light that each man shared, I’m  grateful that I was here to see it.  Farewell Uncle Miguel, you have shown me how to be humble.  Farewell Uncle Jack, your love for community has inspired me.   Farewell Uncle Blake, your resilience is nothing short of extraordinary.    These gifts and more will live on and reverberate through the generations.

 

Photographic image of light shining on a wall.
Sunrise from my bed -1 © Amy Pollard

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *