along this road
not a single soul
autumn evening
              ~ Basho

Sam Hamill in his translation of Basho's travelogues, tells us that Basho's haiku was written just before his death and that "this road" refers the road of poetry, the road of Zen practice, and the road of life itself. All of these are one for Basho. These were his adult life commitments.

In the autumn of his life Basho suggests that we travel these roads of life alone. This doesn't mean that he was a recluse. He enjoyed visiting inns and towns on his walks through Japan, sharing and teaching poetry, and visiting homes and inns for food, music and companionship.

While a gingko walk is sometimes done in groups with sharing impressionsat some point, my walks through the garden are photographer's journeys, just me lookig through my lens. It brings on an intense meditative state.

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