fragility

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the fragility 
of new awakenings 
the old guava tree




 

The Poem's Connection to Process Philosophy

  • Becoming and Change: The phrase "new awakenings" immediately establishes a focus on becoming, not a static state of "being." The poem is not about a guava tree that "is" or "has" new life. It's about the process of that new life coming into being. This is the fundamental premise of process philosophy, which argues that reality is a continuous stream of events and transformations, not a collection of unchanging things.

  • Creativity and Novelty: The "new awakenings" represent a moment of genuine novelty. Process philosophy emphasizes that the universe is not a closed system running on fixed laws, but a creative one where new possibilities and forms constantly emerge. The poem captures this by highlighting the "fragility" of this creative moment. This fragility acknowledges the precariousness of emergence and the fact that new life is a delicate, and not guaranteed, outcome.

  • Past and Present in a Dynamic Relationship: The juxtaposition of "new awakenings" and "the old guava tree" is a key element of the poem's connection to process philosophy. The old tree isn't a dead or inert object. It's the historical context, the "past," from which the "new awakenings," the "present," emerge. Process philosophy views the past as actively influencing the present, but not determining it. The "old" tree provides the conditions and potential for the "new" life, but the "awakening" itself is a novel, creative event that is more than the sum of its parts. This shows the continuous, interdependent flow of reality. The "being" of the tree is defined by its "becoming."

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