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oh to have foxes play where I've laid to rest

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Moonbows

A moonbow, also known as a lunar rainbow or white rainbow, is a rainbow created by moonlight rather than sunlight. It's formed when light from the moon refracts and reflects off water droplets, like those in rain or mist, creating a visible arc of light in the sky. Moonbows are generally fainter and less colorful than regular rainbows, and they are much rarer due to the need for specific conditions like a full or near-full moon, clear skies, and dark skies.

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Edgar Allan Poe, from Tamerlane & Other Poems of E. A. P.; “The Sleeper,”

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abnormally large trees please lend me some of your centuries worth of wisdom

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Livre de la Vigne nostre Seigneur; France, 15th century; Bodleian Library, MS. Douce 134, f. 49v

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Katsumi Otani - A Long, Long Time Ago, c. 1980s

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in my richard papen era(failing academics, in need of friends, romantising things i don't even understand)

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The Kitten by Mary Oliver | Two-Headed Calf by Laura Gilpin | The Mower by Philip Larkin | Invasive Species by Leah Silvieus

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the foreign language students

pages of scribbled notes on grammar and verb conjugations

buying copies of your favorite books in the original language, even though you can barely read them

sounding out long words, letting the unfamiliar syllables roll off of your tongue

a knitted blanket wrapped around your shoulders like a shawl

pacing the room, repeating words until they’re memorized

excelling in class, always ready to be called on

vocabulary flashcards tucked in the pocket of your coat

empty mugs scattered across your room

writing down unfamiliar phrases to look them up later

admiring words for themselves, for the beauty in the syllables

flipping through dictionaries, underlining useful words

a longing not only to see the world, but to understand it in its native tongue

soaking up language, keeping the words filed away in your head

carefully dissecting the grammar of a sentence, marking out parts of speech until you can fully understand

never missing a duolingo practice

mumbling to yourself, practicing your accent and inflection

difficult vocab words scribbled on your hand

using idioms to sound more like a native speaker, seeking authenticity

methodical work, notes perfectly organized

the joy of comprehension

sitting on the train and going through flashcards again and again

photos of the places you want to visit pinned to the walls

writing your favorite words in the margins of your notes

putting shows in your target language on in the background, letting the sounds wash over you until they’re familiar

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the chinese students

flashcards with characters painstakingly copied down

the satisfaction of achieving proper use of tones

learning pieces of different dialects, focusing on one but being able to identify mandarin, cantonese, and others

eating mooncakes during the mid-autumn festival

a calligraphy brush held delicately between your fingers

playing go, studying the intricacies of strategy

finally hearing the difference in pronunciation between two similar words

stacks of hsk textbooks

writing phrases again and again, until it feels natural

the vibrant silks of hanfu clothing

endless pages of notes 

memorizing the dynastic periods and major events from each

attending performances of beijing opera

reading simplified versions of the four classic novels, working your way up to the original texts

the smell of your favorite food from your local chinese restaurant

learning to cook dishes from different regional cuisines

repeating vocabulary until it’s fully memorized

delicate porcelain, intricately decorated

studying traditional confucian, buddhist, and taoist philosophies

visiting the great wall, the temple of heaven, and other cultural sites

understanding the importance of learning one of the fastest growing languages in the world

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the japanese students

characters copied down with your favorite pen

the vibrant green of high-quality matcha

writing hiragana, katakana, and kanji until the symbols are familiar

strolling through a botanical garden

practicing suffixes, learning the social contexts that determine when different honorifics should be used

the satisfaction of seeing your grasp on the language improve

studying ancient poetry, reading pages of the man’yōshū

a scattering of cherry blossom petals in your hair

watching your favorite shows, recognizing the words and phrases you’ve learned and picking up new ones

recognizing the global influences of japanese culture

busy city streets and neon lights

picking up takeout from your local sushi restaurant

learning to cook authentic dishes

a stack of manga paperbacks with beaten-up corners and broken spines from each re-read

coming up with mnemonics to improve memorization 

relishing the challenge of talking with a native speaker

the gently curved roofs of traditional architecture

organized notes, the title written at the top of the page in multiple alphabets

celebrating the theater traditions of noh and kyōgen

analyzing the intersections of japanese culture and contemporary western influences

studying various periods of history, from the Heian to the Meiji

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When a boy…discovers that he is more given into introspection and consciousness of self than other boys his age, he easily falls into the error of believing it is because he is more mature than they. This was certainly a mistake in my case. Rather, it was because the other boys had no such need of understanding themselves as I had: they could be their natural selves, whereas I was to play a part, a fact that would require considerable understanding and study. So it was not my maturity but my sense of uneasiness, my uncertainty that was forcing me to gain control over my consciousness. Because such consciousness was simply a steppingstone to aberration and my present thinking was nothing but uncertain and haphazard guesswork.

yukio mishima, confessions of a mask