A little cuckoo across a hydrangea (Haiga) 

This evocative ink painting titled "A little cuckoo across a hydrangea" comes from the brush of Yosa Buson, who lived in the eighteenth century. The cuckoo, swift and wild, has been a recurring symbol of impermanence and longing in Japanese art and poetry for centuries. Observe how Buson positions the cuckoo, almost as if startled, above the serene hydrangea. It's a juxtaposition we also see in ancient Greek art, where the swift-footed Hermes is placed near symbols of nature, hinting at a transition between the divine and earthly realms. This symbol, a messenger, echoes in the subconscious, a longing for what is lost and what is yet to be. Like the ever-changing hydrangeas, shifting colors with the soil's acidity, the cuckoo's cry reminds us that life is fleeting, a poignant memento mori. This cyclical interplay of life and transience deeply resonates, reminding us of art's power to capture the ephemeral, echoing through time and cultures.