Play

Amongst many species of mammals and birds, individuals engage spontaneously and voluntarily with interactions that appear rewarding in and of themselves. Such exhibitions of social play can prepare juveniles for adult life, and amongst adults they enhance tolerance and cooperation.

Human play develops as we grow, from the carefree exuberance of make-believe and games into performances for theatre, music and sports.

Now all grownup, perhaps we feel a harmonious unity in contemplating children or animals liberated by play.

Orioles take flight over lush grasses of early spring,
Willows sweep the riverbank, steeped in mist.
Children hurry home from lessons,
Seizing on the easterly breeze to fly their paper kites.1

Can we ever again immerse ourselves in the innocent transformations that make everything possible?

Give me your hand and give me your love,
give me your hand and dance with me.
A single flower, and nothing more,
a single flower is all we’ll be.

Keeping time in the dance together,
you’ll be singing the song with me.
Grass in the wind, and nothing more,
grass in the wind is all we’ll be.

I’m called Hope and you’re called Rose;
but losing our names we’ll both go free,
a dance on the hills, and nothing more,
a dance on the hills is all we’ll be.2

• Gau Ding (1863) Village Life. Freeform translation from Simplified Chinese.
• Gabriela Mistral (1925) Ternura, Rondas de Niños V, Dame La Mano. Freeform translation from Spanish by Ursula Le Guin.

C.P. Doncaster, Timeline of the Human Condition, star index