On New Year’s Day, six poets gathered at Issoan Tea Room to compose linked verse poetry, share incense, food, sweets, tea, and fellowship. This year’s poem below.
Gathering of friends
Tea, food, incense
Fellowship
Fresh year
Hatsu uta (first poem)
Hatsu uta
breathless silence
birds welcome the new day
horizon faintly glows
life begins anew
life begins anew
from shadows creeping
to rays over the horizon
stepping out to face the sun
in the distance, a rising landscape
in the distance, a rising landscape
rolling peaks, mujinso, (limitless) darkness recedes,
revealing verdant evergreen
snow sparkles, a shimmering blanket
a pale glow waiting to burst forth
a pale glow waiting to burst forth
pink reflected in the pond
trees turning from black to green
like life returning with the day
squirrels and birds begin to stir
squirrels and birds begin to stir
honks of multiple flocks
crisscross above
while passing the chashitsu
at New Year’s first light
at New Year’s first light
frost covers the grass
I see my breath
the Kan-botan (cold peony)is back lit
by the rising warmth
By the rising warmth
drawn to explore
gloves and mittens on
wrapped in layers
prepared to venture out
Prepared to venture out
I pause in the doorway
to check my watch
time has no meaning
I step out into the wild
I step out into the wild
crisp air prickles against my cheeks
my breaths fog before me
I glance at the clear sky
ice blue stretches above me
Ice blue stretches above me
sparkling off of the snow
the cloudless sky
brought to earth in the pond
in winters’ cold embrace
In winters’ cold embrace
floating snowflakes
captured by outstretched limbs
yuki-ore (snow on branches) spreads throughout
the small pine grove
the small pine grove
suddenly quiet
then the drama of
a scolding squirrel
a dripping bough
A dripping bough
in the shadows
icy glimmers on the snow
crack of breaking ice
green shoots break through
Green shoots break through
sap rises in the trunks
pushing up and out
as the spring warms
buds spilling wildly along the branch
buds spilling wildly along the branch
color overtakes the trees
a chill breeze rustles the branches
white petals float and dance
drifting among the celebration of rebirth
drifting among the celebration of rebirth
walking among the trees
new growth a vibrant green
ringing with joy
laughter abounds
Laughter abounds
freshly cut fields
cradles my body
dancing clouds and scent of umami (flavor)
with springs breath
With springs breath
I shed my heavy coat
and head to the river
to see what’s new
and flowing
And flowing
willow branches bend
and touch the water
a curtain of green
fluttering leaves
Fluttering leaves
dance in the spring breeze
signaling more growth to come
the warming earth
gives rise to hidden depths
Gives rise to hidden depths
for carpets of green
buds begin to emerge
sweet frangrance wafts on the breeze
transforming into colorful brocades
Transforming into colorful brocades
leaving patterns on the hills
picking flowers for chabana
my arms overflow
and the fragrance scents my sleeves
And the fragrance scents my sleeves
running away
from the sound of sleeves, footsteps and shadows
with exhaustion I settle in the shade
and lose them all
And losing them all
I slip off my sandals
my feet sink in the clover
I close my eyes
and seek quiet
And seek quiet
the sounds of the world fade
my awareness shifts
the humming of wings
drenched in sunlight
Drenched in sunlight
I lay on my back
fluffy white clouds
pass by unconcerned
over the green hills
Over the green hills
clouds collect and darken
swollen, the sky bursts
I hide under the eves
painting the world in saturated color
Painting the world in saturated color
green fields glow
new life shines forth
sunlight nourishes and
water feeds the growth
And water feeds the growth
salmon’s passage
slapping stones and popping bubbles
leap over
trunks fall
Trunks fall
so the cycle renews
day to night
the year
returns home
