Finally, the poem invites an ethic of afterthought: accept that meaning ripens. In a world where outcomes hurry us, Li counsels a slower chronology of comprehension—akin to Chan reflections on impermanence (“Diamond Sutra,” c. 4th century: things as dreams and dew). Practices like journaling, returning to a place, or revisiting a song allow recall to condense insight without forcing it. Regret softens when we see that bewilderment was not failure but the necessary prelude to understanding. Thus, by honoring the interval between sensation and sense, we let time complete the feeling that time initially confused. [...]
