Kitano- Tenmangu

Tags

boussokusekika, geiko, Kitano-Tenmangu, maiko

(Creative Commons.  Photo by 663highland, 19/2/11)

 

Angry bureaucrat-

scholar and poet exile –

has to be appeased.

Geiko and maiko serve tea

beneath blossom and lanterns.

Sumiyosha taisha

Tags

boussokusekika, hakushaseishou, Sumiyoshi

(Creative Commons.  Image by KENPEI, June 2007)

 

 

The Sumiyoshi

are the gods of war on sea.

The shrine’s parkland

(hakushaseishou landscape)

inspired works of art.

Hurano-jinja

Tags

Cherry Blossom, Hurano-jinja, Kazan

(Photo by Brian Adler: Wikipedia)

 

The cherry blossom

began in Kazan’s reign* and

his mausoleum

marks the resting place of one

who preferred to be a monk.

 

• Emperoro Kazan

Iwashimizu Hachiman

Tags

bussokusekika, Gyoko, heihaku, Iwashimizu Hachiman, Kamakura, kami, Kyoto

Wikipedia: source

 

 

Gyoko, the monk,

said that Hachiman wanted

to guard Kyoto.

Heihaku* told the kami**

Kamakura*** news and views.

 

• Imperial messengers
• ** spirits
• *** early political centre of Japan.

Japan’s Twenty Two Shrines

Tags

Amaterasu, boussokusekika, Ise Jingu, Japan, Sacred Mirror, shrine

I understand that there are three levels of shrines:

Upper/ First Rank : 7 examples

Middle : 7

Lower : 7 (plus 1)

 

I am going to go through each shrine and try to write a boussokusekika

for each.  5,7,5,7,7,7 syllable pattern.

Here goes:

 

Ise Jingu

(Photo by N yotarou, 2008)

 

Amaterasu,

here is your Sacred Mirror;

it reflects the truth:

though damaged by fire, its ash

was used to make it anew.

 

The goddess Amaterasu emerging from a cave.

 

 

Attraction

Tags

attraction, Buddleia, bussokusekika, butterfly

 

You, white Buddleia,

are a butterfly magnet;

generous hostess.

How do they all know to come?

What attracted me to you?

100 Poems Explained by a Wet Nurse 9

Tags

cuckoo, Hokusai, Saigyo, samurai, wet nurse, wisdom

 

81 onwards….

 

(Visipix.com)

 

Who is the cuckoo –

my lover, the moon… that bird?

The morning after!

 

(Visipix.com)

 

The wheel of fortune…

yes, no one can stay it.

Who knows what it brings.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

Even in the hills

there is nowhere to find peace.

Life’s never- ending.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

Even samurais’

significance can be lost

in past, or present.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

The moon has fooled me

by shining through cracks in doors.

Sublunary love!

 

(Visipix.com)

 

Is Saigyo’s sadness

to do with the world, himself,

or, indeed, with both?

 

(Visipix.com)

 

After the showers,

the fir trees’ needles still drip,

as my tears trickle.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

How much happiness

can one heart bear and how

much weight can reefs take?

 

(Visipix.com)

 

I waited for love

and my maids waited as well.

Then we fell asleep.

(Visipix.com)

 

He already leaves,

even though I tried so hard.

I’m not crying now.

100 Poems Explained by a Wet Nurse 7

Tags

emperor, Hokusai, Maskao, wet nurse

More in the Hokusai series!

 

(Visipix.com)

 

The Emperor praised

the eight-fold branch of blossom.

Next time we’ll bring trees!

 

(Visipix.com)

 

When the rooster crowed,

you said that you had to leave.

I’ve heard that before.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

Maskao – why you?

You turned celibate and then

told the guard, not me.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

Eventually

you are bound to catch a fish,

if you are patient.

 

No Number 66

 

(Visipix.com)

 

My heart on my sleeve;

tears are on display, but see –

no one really cares.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

We shared a pillow,

but nothing happened- really!

People are gossips.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

At night, all is gloom;

everything seems much worse,

bathed in soft moonlight.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

Maple leaves in streams

may look beautiful, but we

have our work to do.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

Ordinary life

goes on in every season-

even in Autumn.

 

 

 

100 Poems Explained by a Wet Nurse 10

Tags

cricket, Hokusai, kelp, Mount Hiei, wet nurse

91-99- (no 100)

 

(Visipix.com)

 

The cricket’s chirrup

makes a difference- details

matter in love too.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

My sleeves wet with tears

and waves tell no secrets.

My child is quiet too.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

Collaboration

in Nature and in men too

achieves good results.

 

 

(Visipix.com)

 

No number 94…..

 

 

Priests on Mount Hiei

wear such impressive robes,

but what do they reveal?

 

(Visipix.com)

 

Old men wouldn’t mind

if ladies would sweep them up

along with the leaves.

 

 

(Visipix.com)

 

Burning kelp extracts

the salt from the seaweed but

not from all my tears.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

Riding on the back

of our forebears, we can see

a lot more that way.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

Until they’re re-born,

misery caused by soldiers

will be repeated.

 

 

Poems Explained by a Wet Nurse 8

Tags

blossom time, distillation, Hokusai, sake, wet nurse

71- (Visipix.com)

 

When Autumn winds blow,

the man who washes his feet

is truly grounded.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

A servant grasps me.

What kind of master has he?

He must be like him.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

In the blossom time,

even the drunks have a right

to gaze on beauty.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

Maybe it’s as well

the goddess didn’t answer

my humble prayer.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

Unfulfilled promise:

the reliable seasons

shame your fickleness.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

In the eye of storms,

we pit ourselves ‘gainst Nature

and  just try our best.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

A stream divided

by a rock may still unite,

like love, downriver.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

The distillation

of sake may smooth our lives,

or may roughen them.

 

(Visipix.com)

 

Sometimes it is hard

to see if the moon or clouds

are moving.  A torch!

 

(Visipix.com)

 

This morning my hair

is as tousled as my thoughts.

Will he care at all?