The creation of this poem was a winding journey. The initial inspiration started one night, when I stood in my backyard watching the the branches of a massive tree quiver beneath a clear sky. It was a moment that transported me back to my childhood, when I used to love going to planetariums.
The second round of inspiration was when I was listening to a song on Rosalia’s new LUX album.
By the time I actually sat down to start writing the poem, I had an idea of where I wanted to take it, but wasn’t sure how it would look. As a result, this poem is about 1/3 the size of how it started lol!

The phrase “人生如梦, 死亦安归” is from a show I really enjoyed on Netflix called “Warrior.” (I have a soft spot for action and kung fu films from the time I spent watching movies with my dad as a kid.) It more or less translates to: “All of life is a walking dream; death is a peaceful return home.” I thought a momento mori quote was a good way of summarizing the point of this poem.