New Year poetry gathering

Happy New Year from Issoan Tea.  This morning we met for the 5th annual poetry gathering at Issoan.  It is always a popular event as we visit, talk, share incense, potluck food, and sweets and tea over the course of 4 hours as we compose a poem for the year.  This year we had 8 participants and so there were 30 verses in the poem.

Here is this year’s collaborative poem:

  1. A New Day

Darkness turns to dawn
As Tiger yields to Rabbit
A new day begins!
Each moment brings potentials;
Each second invites new change

  1. Snow on Distant Hills

Each second invites new change
I walk along the path to the tea house
As I look up, the distant hills covered with white
Seem much closer today
I pull my collar against the cold

  1. Cold Dew

I pull my collar against the cold
My shoulders brush the branches
Glittering drops, tiny gems
Falling from the leaves
A trail leading home

  1. A Good Meal

A trail leading home
Familiar yet always new
Passing through the roji
Hints of the tearoom through the branches
Anticipating an intimate meal with friends

  1. Bundle up

Anticipating an intimate meal with friends
And talks that can warm up the soul.
White snow rustles behind shoji
Bundling up the world from severe cold.

  1. Travel

From severe cold
I steel myself for a long journey
A long time delayed
Preparations finally complete
I look to the horizon

  1. New vistas

I look to the horizon
Taking the first step
Long anticipated
My imagination soars
What will I find ahead?

  1. Adventure

What will I find ahead?
A path opens into the mountains,
Three roads fork into its depths
On one side, birds chirp among the trees; on the other,
A trickle of water gurgles away.

  1. Beauty of nature

A trickle of water gurgles away
All around me nature glows
A thousand shades of green
Looking deep into the sky
I walk deep into the forest

  1. Small stream

I walk deep into the forest
Following the sound of nature’s laughter
A stream flowing over stones
Far ahead between trees
Sunlight glistens on the water

  1. Dappled light

Sunlight glistens on the water
Beckoning me forward
The forest closes in quiet and the sounds of birds
As they flit through the trees
Walking in and out of light

  1. Chance meeting

Walking in and out of light
In the world of shadows
Brings plenty things into the sight.
So, don’t be scared and don’t hide
Let the chance lead you to a new meeting

  1. Conversation

Let the chance lead you to a new meeting
Once in a lifetime experience
Connecting over time and space
Travelers on separate paths temporarily intersecting
Sharing warmth and joy

  1. Laughter

Sharing warmth and joy
Discovery of common interests
Laughter comes easily
A turn of the wheel
Have we met before?

  1. Falling in love

Have we met before?
An encounter of a lifetime—
Or encounters throughout a lifetime?
To meet, separate, and perhaps reconvene—
When will we see each other’s smiles again?

  1. Out in the fields

When will we see each other’s smiles again?
When the flowers fill the fields
The sun shines throughout the day
Growing fruits in abundance
Blue skies fill with clouds

  1. Storm clouds

Blue skies fill with clouds
A veil across the sun
White to grey, darker and darker
Anticipation builds
The first drop falls

  1. Standing in the rain

The first drop falls
The smell of damp earth
Rises up in greeting
Then the rain descends
Drops of rain on my upturned face

  1. Parting

Drops of rain on my upturned face
Like stitches that join the Earth and the Sky
Marking your way
After you said good-bye
To people at home and made the first pace

  1. The pine stands alone

To people at home and made the first pace
Continuing on the mountain path
A single soul passes a lone pine
Standing against wind, rain and time
Solitude the sole companion

  1. Contemplation

Solitude the sole companion
The mountain ageless
Winding road ascends
A leaf blows across my path
I look within

 

  1. Reflection

I look within
And see eight billion people.
Are these me?
Outside,
Those eight billion people are also me.

  1. Deep breath

Those eight billion people are also me
Crowding out thoughts coming swiftly
How can I find myself?
I inhale and slowly, let my breath fade
The world is made new again

  1. Be here now

The world is made new again
Every moment unique
Never to occur again
Savor where and when you are
The present is a gift

  1. A new day

The present is a gift
Like the sun rising over a mountain
Changing light drenches everything
Illuminating the world slowly
Every day new and the same

  1. Snow on distant hills

Every day new and the same
Never repeats
Snow on distant hills.
Is that the old capital
Where my heart is left?

  1. A good meal

Where my heart is left
Nostalgia carries me forward
Wisps of memory, a scent, a taste
Of a home cooked meal filling my body and soul
For many steps are still to come

  1. Travel

For many steps are still to come
The way is long
The journey brings new experiences
Each bend in the road a surprise
I crest the hill

  1. New vistas

I crest the hill
And peer into the distance
The sun follows me over the horizon,
First illuminating the soaring peaks
Then shining on the hidden valleys.

  1. Beauty of Nature

Then shining on the hidden valleys
Secrets slowly reveal themselves
If you are patient and wait
Nature gives whole heartedly
Its beauty to anyone who can see.

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