It was nature, more than anything else, that was thought to foster wabi and sabi, and it is therefore, unsurprisingly, one of Bashō’s most frequent topics. Take this spring scene, which appears to ask so little of the world, and is attuned to an appreciation of the everyday: First cherry budding by peach blossoms. Bashō’s poetry is of an almost shocking simplicity at the level of theme. There are no analyses of politics or love triangles or family dramas. The point is to remind readers that what really matters is to be able to be content with our own company, to appreciate the moment we are in
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