Compassion

by Korean poet Yoo An-Jin

Having wandered all day,
the worm is worn out,
it rests on a wilted flower petal on the ground.
Another petal scheduled to fall tomorrow
can wait no longer, and
falls prematurely to blanket the worm
at dusk

This short poem, “Compassion” by Yoo An-Jin, is a masterclass in quiet empathy and poetic minimalism. Through the lens of nature — a worm, two petals, and the soft fall of dusk — it evokes profound human emotion: gentleness, timing, and the silent grace of care.

“Another petal scheduled to fall tomorrow / can wait no longer, and / falls prematurely to blanket the worm at dusk”

Here is the poem’s quiet miracle — the moment that turns observation into metaphor. The falling petal becomes an act of compassion, almost as if nature, sensing the worm’s exhaustion, chooses to comfort it. The use of “scheduled to fall tomorrow” gives a sense of destiny voluntarily altered, a selfless gesture, however small.

“Compassion” is a quiet parable in natural imagery. Without preaching, it illustrates empathy, sacrifice, and gentleness — not with grand gestures, but in a single petal falling a day early. It reminds us that kindness doesn’t require grandeur. Sometimes, it’s just the timing of a falling leaf — or the grace to notice it.