
My beautiful picture
(Morning sky to the east a few years ago…)
In the spirit of what was done 1500 years ago, I am answering the call of Ono no Komachi’s wonderful poems with a bit of my own, trying to stay ontheme in each one.
These are just fast written responses., but sometimes that fulfills the task. As to whether there are ‘real’ tanka, I don’t know, and frankly right now, I am happy enough with what developed.
Lady Nyo
—
Did he appear
Because I fell asleep
Thinking of him?
If only I’d known I was dreaming
I’d never have awakened.
How long will it last?
I know not his hidden heart.
This morning my thoughts
Are as tangled as my hair.
My blushes turn my face dark.”
—
When my desire
Grows too fierce
I wear my bed clothes
Inside out,
Dark as the night’s rough husk.
–
No moon tonight
Only a cold wind visits
Murasaki robe
Stained the color of grass
Invisible on this earth.
–
My longing for you—
Too strong to keep within bounds.
At least no one can blame me
When I go to you at night
Along the road of dreams.
–
Come to me, my man,
Part the blinds and come into my arms,
Snuggle against my warm breast
And let my belly
Warm your dreams.
–
One of her most famous poems:
No way to see him
On this moonless night—
I lie awake longing, burning,
Breasts racing fire,
Heart in flames.
When my needing you
Burns my breasts-torments me
I tear open robes
To lie naked in moonlight
The wind your hands, caressing
–
Night deepens
With the sound of calling deer,
And I hear
My own one-sided love.’
Autumn wind startles–
Lowered to an ominous
Key—Ah! Mournful sounds!
The fat mountain deer listen-
Add their bellowing sorrow.
–
The cicadas sing
In the twilight
Of my mountain village—
Tonight, no one
Will visit save the wind.
Tonight, foxes scream
Cued by a howling wind.
Maple leaves quilting
A lonely time of season
No one to share the moonlight.
–
A diver does not abandon
A seaweed-filled bay.
Will you then turn away
From this floating, sea-foam body
That waits for your gathering hands?
So lonely am I
My soul like a floating weed
Severed at the roots
Drifting upon cold waters
No pillow for further dreams.
–
Is this love reality
Or a dream?
I cannot know,
When both reality and dreams
Exist without truly existing.
Dreams, reality
How can one truly know?
I stumble through dreams
I stagger through the lost days
Tell me: what has more substance?
–
I did my poems fast. I will refine and revise later. And try to complete this with the remaining poems of Komachi.
All Komachi poems were compiled from the Man’yoshu and the book, “The Ink Dark Moon”, by Hirshfield and Aratani.
Jane Kohut-Bartels
Copyrighted, 2016
Tags: call and answer, Ono No Komachi, tanka
December 2, 2016 at 3:34 pm
*Claps hands and bows*
reincarnate words
tallow flickers – tai fung howls
reach through time’s thin veil
kimono caught pine branches
eyes passes passion quickens
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December 2, 2016 at 3:48 pm
Lovely, Brian! You capture the true spirit of this relay. I wish others would but they don’t. And that is such a shame. Tanka call and answer by any other name…is a challenge and a wonderful way to deepen and inspire poetry. there is a marvelous book….a small one, published out of Japan….”Love Songs from the Man’yoshu” that is so beautiful to hold in the hand (as the Japanese know how to color and bind)and with such beautiful illustrations….cut outs…that it is so worth to get on Amazon. I get this book to give to friends. You should look this up….the explanations on the individual tanka and the cut outs, etc. are superb. As is your tanka above. Thank you, Brian…’tai fung howls reach through time’s thin veil…marvelous imagery!
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