Cloud Ladder to the Isles

The first line waves away worry over being called on late. The search for a reputation settles by degrees into calm. A ladder of cloud is finally within hope, and the road back leads into Penglai and Yingzhou, which we identify as the fabled islands of immortals.

Over a verse that ends beyond ordinary geography, the book prints Dai-kichi, Great good fortune. Lateness is dismissed, and the way home turns out to lead somewhere far better than the starting point.

In current life, this could speak to someone who started late and has been measuring themselves against earlier starters. What would home look like if it were placed ahead of you and no longer behind?