“A Seasoning of Lust”

https://goo.gl/YNzows

Well, there you have it.  The second edition of “Seasoning”.

Nick Nicholson, a dear friend of over a decade took my first book and reworked it.  Nick picked the cover, we consulted on the  writings, making some important changes in text and Nick also supplied some of his marvelous photographs illustrating some of the poetry, other writings and the three short stories inside.

We had a lot of fun with this.  This first book was heavy with  erotica, but that mostly was because of the influence of a particular writers group I was in at the time.  I left that group because I felt strongly that erotica should be a seasoning, not the whole meal.  Plus, as a writer, I realized the constrains in writing erotica.   Writing became much more.  I was ready to find out how much more.

A first book is thrilling to hold in your hand.  However, I feel after 8 years, it needed to be revised.  It was the basis of my beginning royalties, but I figured that I could do better and this book needed revision.  Nick was the instigator of that and I am deeply grateful for his eagle eye, his marvelous photos, and his guidance on the revision.

It was originally on Lulu.com, but now is published on Amazon, Createspace.

Included are the original pieces in this new edition, (but revised) much poetry, tanka, haiku, the three (longish) short stories and the beginnings of the “Lady Nyo Writings” that became “Song of the Nightingale”, my last book, also on Amazon.

All these stories and poems and ‘flashers’ (very short stories) were written in basically two years.  I look back at this book and marvel at the energy I had then. Now?  It takes me much longer to produce a book but with friends like Nick, it can be a walk in the park.

Jane Kohut-Bartels

Copyrighted, 2016

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The River”

Spiral right back into Life

For friends and readers who don’t mind a little erotica.

–

The sun streams in the window

like a jarring benediction

from a loud- mouthed priest.

It falls upon us

as we spoon asleep,

your back  to me,

my nose on your skin

breathing  in the miracle of you.

 

Last night, our first in spent passion,

that particular coin flowing like a river

between us,

you brought hot, wet towels

to clean up the waters left by the flood.

 

Bending over me,

parting my thighs with your hands,

I wanted you to leave the damp alone,

and slide your hand

into the still wet, faintly pulsing dark chasm,

my hollow jerking and twisting at the end of you.

 

Instead,

I curled up like a fiddle-head fern,

embraced your dark head with my hands,

pulling your mouth to mine,

 

and we flowed down that river again.

 

Jane Kohut-Bartels

Copyrighted, 2016

This poem was “Poem of the Year” at ERWA back in 2010.  It is included in “A Seasoning of Lust” which is being reissued on Createspace  in a few weeks.  My deepest gratitude to Nick Nicholson, in Canberra, Australia for doing the rework. With a friend like this for over 10 years, you are never alone.

 

 

An email from Jingle Nozelar Yan (JP at Olive Grove ):

“when you post on word press or blogger, you do not have to pay or ask permission in person. which is what we count for.”

Every poet and poet group I frequent would find that surprising.  There are Copyright Laws in the US,  Jingle. Even in China. But bless your little  heart.

Please  don’t read my work on her site. If you care about literature, you will go to the original source and bypass Jingle Bells.

 

 

Mishka’s Loot

My dear friend, Nick Nicholson from Australia sent me this picture last night of one of his cats, Mishka.  She is quite the cat burglar.  For the past year, Mishka has been roaming the neighborhood, bringing back loot from God Knows Where.  Amongst the items she has selected are:

3 tea towels

one facewasher

2 car washing sponge

1 hairband w/bow

2 sports headbands

1 T-shirt

1 long sleeved T-shirt

1 girl’s top

1 piece bathing suit

1 pair of stockings

1 pair of leggings….

 

But by far, her favourite things to bring me were:

9 pairs of Knickers

19 gloves (mostly gardening gloves)

…..and….

83 socks.

Nick xxx

–

Mishka looks…. positively unrepentant.

Nick was my collaborator on “Pitcher of Moon” and “The Song of the Nightingale” (Amazon.com, 2014 and 2015).  We are going to do a collection of my Southern Short Stories next spring, with Nick including his marvelous photographs from his recent trip around the US, including the South.

Nick has been my greatest encourager in writing  and in other creative arts for the last 10 years.  Besides my Aunt Jean Kohut, who died two years ago at age 102. In this time when people  don’t read much, except their phones, these two people have made all the difference in my exploration and production as a writer.

However,  unless Nick can dissuade Mishka from her life of crime, the folk around him will appear with pikes and pitchforks, demanding at least their knickers and socks back.

Think of the villagers in “Frankenstein”.

–

Jane Kohut-Bartels

Copyrighted, 2016

 

 

‘Introduction to the Characters’, From “The Nightingale’s Song”

Some time in late March I will publish “The Nightingale’s Song”.  Actually, Nick Nicholson and I will publish it.  Nick is travelling the US in a black Mustang convertible, having the time of his life.  Nick comes from Canberra, Australia, and in his last trip here, formatted “Pitcher of Moon” (April, 2014). 

I wrote this saga three years ago, but have added chapters to it, and some essays on the Man’yoshu, the great 8th century Japanese document of poetry that inspired so much of “Nightingale”.

It is good to have this work finished. The cover painting is done, and there are a few surprises inside in the form of graphics.  We will publish this book at Createspace, Amazon.com.

Lady Nyo

–

–

1

INTRODUCTION TO THE CHARACTERS….

 

 

In Old Japan there was an even older daimyo called Lord Mori, who lived in the shadow of Moon Mountain, far up in the Northwest of Japan.  Lord Mori ran a court that did little except keep his men (and himself) entertained with drinking, hawking and hunting.  Affairs of state were loosely examined and paperwork generally lost, misplaced under a writing table or under a pile of something more entertaining to his Lordship.  Sometimes even under the robes of a young courtesan.

Every other year the Emperor in Edo would demand all the daimyos travel to his court for a year.  A clever demand of the honorable Emperor. It kept them from each other’s throats, plundering each other’s land, and made them all accountable to Edo and the throne.  This only worked on paper for the nature of daimyos was to plunder and cut throats where they could.

Lord Mori was fortunate in having an exemption to attend the Emperor. He was awarded this exemption with pitiful letters to the court complaining of age, ill health and general infirmities.  He sent his eldest, rather stupid son to comply with the Emperor’s demands. He agreed to have this disappointing young man stay in Edo to attend the Emperor.  Probably forever.

Lord Mori, however, continued to hunt, hawk and generally enjoy life in the hinterlands.

True, his realm, his fiefdom, was tucked away in mountains hard to cross. To travel to Edo took months because of bad roads, fast rivers and mountain passages. A daimyo was expected to assemble a large entourage for this trip: vassals, brass polishers, flag carriers, outriders,  a train of horses and mules to carry all the supplies, litters for the women, litters for advisors and fortune tellers, and then of course, his samurai. His train of honor could be four thousand men or more!

But this tale isn’t about Lord Mori. It’s about one of his generals, his vassal, Lord Nyo and his wife, Lady Nyo, who was born from a branch of a powerful clan, though a clan who had lost standing at the court in Edo.

Now, just for the curious, Lord Nyo is an old samurai, scarred in battle, ugly as most warriors are, and at a loss when it comes to the refinement and elegance of life– especially poetry.  His Lady Nyo is fully half his age, a delicate and thoughtful woman, though without issue.

But Lord and Lady Nyo don’t fill these pages alone. There are other characters; priests, magical events, an old nursemaid, women of the court of Lord Mori, an ‘invisible’ suitor, birds and frogs, samurai and a particularly tricky Tengu who will stand to entertain any reader of this tale.

A full moon, as in many Japanese tales, figures in the mix. As do poetry, some ancient and some written for this tale.  War and battles, love and hate.  But this is life.  There is no getting one without the other.

The present Lady Nyo, descended from generations past.

–

Jane Kohut-Bartels

Copyrighted, 2015

“Pitcher of Moon” finally published!

“This world of dew

is a world of dew,

And yet, and yet”

—–Kobayashi Issa (Japan, 1763-1828)

from the frontpiece of “Pitcher of Moon”

 

And a new poem, “Darwin’s Worms” from the book.

“Pitcher of Moon” has been almost a year in the making. Nick Nicholson, a long time friend from Australia took on this project and produced a lovely book.  He did the design, the formatting and all the interfacing with Createspace and the cover photographer, Gary Hart.  Nick did much more and without his hard labor, this book would have not come to life.

Gary Hart  (www.garyhartphotography.com) was the photographer Nick picked and  bought the rights to use this photo for the cover of the book.  Gary Hart was very generous to us as I could have not afforded his usual price for his photographs.  I am very thankful for his kindness and generousity.   Please check out his website.

I have just received the proof copies and after approval here will AOK them for sale on Createspace.   Should be a matter of days or a week before it is available.  Those who have bought my previous  three books from Lulu.com will notice that I have jumped ship.  Lulu was fine for a while, but Createspace offers a lot more for writers.   Nick and I intend to bring over all three previous books (A Seasoning of Lust, The Zar Tales and White Cranes of Heaven) to Createspace in time.  Later this spring, we will also be publishing “The Nightingale’s Song”  at Createspace.

It is so good to have this project finally done.  Without Nick,  I would still be moving in a circle.  Nick cut through all the issues and I am deeply appreciative of his creativity.

Lady Nyo

The end poem of “Pitcher of Moon”….

Darwin’s Worms 

 

The soil has lost its excellence.

Worms  hide in the  

Deep sullen earth

I imagine curled up,

Embracing worm castings

And each other,

Desiccated former selves

Pale little ghosts

Awaiting the fertility of spring

The watering of a hard rain.

 

I squandered the bloom months,

Thinking paper and pen

Would bring its own blossoming

Scarcely seeing the vitality outside

Windows,

Allowing cabbage moths and beetles

To dominate

My nod to farming,

To self-sufficiency,

My tithe to the earth.

 

Ah, the soil is hardened

By the sins of the season.

Sharp winds make

furrows 

The cold buries down,

Deep, deep down

Torments, teases any life

That  would show a feckless head.

 

Especially those hopeful worms

Now bundled in worm-sleep.

 

The words, verse,

I chose to cultivate

Over cabbage, collards

Failed to bloom.

Better I had plied the hoe

And bucket to that

Than a fevered pen

To paper.

 

It is now winter

And the fallow earth

Plays a waiting game

Knows I have failed

In pulp and soil

And mocks with a barrenness

I feel inside and out.

 

Jane Kohut-Bartels

Copyrighted, 2014

 

With special thanks to Adam Phillips for the title of this poem. 

 

 

 

 

 

“Autumn Poem of mid November”,

 

Sunset in a Violent Sky, copyrighted, 2007, janekohut-bartels, watercolor

Recently I had the particular joy of having Nick Nicholson in our home for a number of days.  Nick is an old friend, or at least one of 7 plus years.  We met when we both were new writers on a particular website (ERWA) and through those hard years learned something about writing.  Nick was on holiday from Canberra, Australia.  He had spent around five weeks touring Paris, Venice, Prague, New York City, and then he came to us in Atlanta.  We didn’t get much sleep over those four days.  In part it was because we were working on a new book together.  Nick has offered to do the cover and photos (graphics, etc.) of “The Nightingale’s Song”, and I couldn’t  be happier. This is the first time in 5 books that I have had a collaborator.  It’s a different experience, and it helps that Nick is someone who is so larded with gifts.  He is a musician, painter, writer, poet and also a crack photographer.  He sent some shots of an afternoon’s work in a local park in Canberra, and just about everyone of these pictures could be used in “Nightingale”.  I was overwhelmed with the riches of his imagination and camera. Nick took back the manuscript and when his part of the work is done, it will be published from Australia.  Maybe later this winter, maybe this spring.  I’m not worried.  In Nick’s capable hands, it will be a better book than with the vision and poetry of just one.

Lady Nyo

 

 

Autumn Poem of mid November,

 

This waning Autumn season,

That bursts upon the mindscape

Through the vehicle of landscape

And mingles dazzling elements

Of color, odors, tangled undergrowth,

Where things are lost in each other

And plausible limits vanish,

And with the passage of days,

Or  a violent rainstorm—

The Earth is transformed in scarcity,

A stretching silence

Insulated by hoar frost and later snow,

Where color is corralled

Like old black and white horses

Barely moving against bitter grey of day.

 

Jane Kohut-Bartels

Copyrighted, 2013

‘Turkey Vulture’ from “Pitcher of Moon”

 

This poem is dedicated to my friend, Nick Nicholson.  “Pitcher Of Moon” has not be published yet, but perhaps later this fall.  I am hopeful for the 37 poems of blessings and gratitude in there.

Lady Nyo

 

TURKEY VULTURE

 

I once knew a woman

Living in a scrubby trailer park

Down near the scrub pines of Florida.

 

She was poor as a church mouse,

half –crazed by life.

She fed all strays

-was the pariah of the neighborhood.

 

Every evening a flock of vultures,

Like fixed-wing aircraft,

Would skim the pines,

And land in a muddle of feathers,

Awkward birds out of their element

Land and with a group waddle

Come to the cat food offered in pans.

 

They were patient guests

And waited for the strays to finish.

 

There was decorum

Among them,

These fierce looking birds

Perhaps they knew

The charity offered

Had humbled their nature:

Or perhaps they had reformed;

I don’t know

But they had a leader named “Frank”

Who held back until the others were done.

 

Frank would never face you;

He sat sideways

Though I believe he peeked.

Perhaps he was ashamed

A lord of the sky

Brought down to this station,

To fill his crop with kibble

From a dented metal pan.

 

Come sit with me.

Extend a feather,

I promise not to stare.

Your warty red neck,

Your hang-dog countenance

Does not disturb me.

 

Come sit beside me,

Let our talons dig into the sand

Let the ocean cleanse our feathers

I will call you friend, brother

For the gift of trust

You have brought on your wings.

 

Jane Kohut-Bartels

Copyrighted 2012-13 

 

 

 

 

Introduction to “The Nightingale’s Song”

I need a vacation. I also need to rewrite this series. In October, Nick Nicholson is coming from Canberra to spend time  and we are to work on this book.  He is doing the graphics. I am so happy because, frankly, I need new eyes for this piece. Rewriting is my task, and he, with his eagle eye, will come up with photos to suit the different poems.  Or something like this.

Collaborating is something new for me, but with Nick, a friend of over 7 years, this should prove interesting. Regardless how much work we get done, it’s good to have a friend here to consider life and its possibilities.

For the next couple of weeks I am going to post this series of poems…from the beginning to what I believe is the end. I started to do this before and life got in the way. So, I’ll attempt this again.  Some of these ‘chapters’ are rough, and some pieces stick out of the story and need lopping shears.  We will see.

Lady Nyo

The Introduction to “The Nightingale’s Song”

In Old Japan there was an even older daimyo called Lord Mori who lived in the shadow of Moon Mountain, far up in the Northwest of Japan.  Lord Mori ran a court that did little except keep his men (and himself) entertained with drinking, hawking and hunting.  Affairs of state were loosely examined and paperwork generally lost, misplaced under a writing table or under a pile of something more entertaining to his Lordship.  Sometimes even under the robes of a young courtesan.

Every other year the Emperor in Edo would demand all the daimyos travel to his court for a year.  This was a clever idea of the honorable Emperor. It kept them from each other’s throats, plundering each other’s land, and made them all accountable to Edo and the throne.

 Lord Mori was fortunate in his exemption of having to travel the months to sit in attendance on the Emperor. He was awarded this exemption with pitiful letters to the court complaining of age, ill health and general infirmities.  He sent his eldest, rather stupid son to comply with the Emperor’s wishes. He agreed to have this disappointing young man stay in Edo to attend the Emperor.  Probably forever. 

 Lord Mori, however, continued to hunt, hawk and generally enjoy life in the hinterlands.

 True, his realm, his fiefdom, was tucked away in mountains hard to cross. To travel to Edo took months because of bad roads, fast rivers and mountain passages. A daimyo was expected to assemble a large entourage for this trip: vassals, brass polishers, flag carriers, outriders,  a train of horses and mules to carry all the supplies, litters for the women, litters for advisors and fortune tellers, and then of course, his samurai. His train of honor could be four thousand men or more! 

But this tale isn’t about Lord Mori. It’s about one of his generals, his vassal, Lord Nyo and his wife, Lady Nyo, who was born from a branch of a powerful clan, though a clan that lost standing at the court in Edo.

Now, just for the curious, Lord Nyo is an old samurai, scarred in battle, ugly as most warriors are, and at a loss when it comes to the refinement and elegance of life– especially poetry.  His Lady Nyo is fully half his age, a delicate and thoughtful woman, though without issue.

But Lord and Lady Nyo don’t fill these pages alone. There are other characters;  priests, magical events, samurai and a particularly tricky Tengu who will entertain any reader of this tale.

A full moon, as in many Japanese tales, figures in the mix. As do poetry, some historic and some bad.  War and battles, love and hate.  But this is like life.  There is no getting one without the other.

The present Lady Nyo, descended from generations past.

Jane Kohut-Mori-Bartels

Copyrighted, 2013

‘The Temptation of Lady Nyo’, from “The Nightingale’s Song”

A while ago, I started to write about the marriage between this mythological Lord and Lady Nyo in 17th century Japan. It started as a few short pieces, and grew into a 14 part story. Magic, Tengus, good and bad people, deceit and love, the usual things of relationships.

Nick Nicholson is a great and long term friend. He is coming from Canberra, Australia to visit us in October. We are going to work together on this book, “The Nightingale’s Song”, Nick to do all the graphics and cover, and me to tighten up the writing.

I have posted pieces of this book-to-be on this blog, and will again. It’s wonderful working with someone you love and respect, and Nick is one great friend.
Two heads on this will be better than just mine.

Lady Nyo

THE TEMPTATION OF LADY NYO

Does he know?
Does he know?
Does he know about the letters?

The court of Lord Mori
Was a small one
Where the men,
Lord Nyo included
Sat and discussed business:
The pleasurable business of hunting,
Archery, drinking
And on occasion,
Just for form’s sake,
Wrote bad poetry.

The women of course
Were positioned behind carved screens,
Where the eagle-eyed Lady Mori,
An old and powdered dragon
Conducted her own court of
Writing more bad poetry, finger games
And layering sleeves and hems for the
Best effects…unseen by anyone
Except the other women.

There was a break in this
Unending monotony one day;
Lady Nyo received notes
From some unknown admirer
Stuffed in different places where
She would find them:
Her screen at court,
On her silk, embroidered cushion,
And even penned on her fan.
She never knew who was so bold,
Never saw even a glimmer of him-
He could have been a ghost.
She recorded her answers in her journal
So she could have evidence of her innocence
Yet she buried his letters in the garden under
A bed of peonies.
She could not bear to burn them.

1.
Yesterday I found a fan with a poem
Stuck in the screen.
Today I found another one placed
On my cushion at court.
Do you have a death wish?
Do you desire the death of me?
You know my husband is known for his temper.
Would I end my life so dishonored?

2.
I see you are as persistent
As the rain in Spring.
Have you no fear?
What is your interest?
Surely I am just another painted face.

3.
I read your poem.
I could do nothing else.
This time it was inked upon
MY fan.

4.
“The wind blows from the north
Chilling my heart.
Only the thought of a touch of your sleeve
Warms me.”
Very nice, but my sleeves are not interested.

5.
“I throw acorns
To the darting carp.
With each nut I say a
Prayer for your health.”
Lovely sentiment, and I am
Always grateful for prayers.
But do you think of my reputation
And what you risk?

6.
I see no poetry this morning
Though I searched for your usual offering.
I knew your interest was as capricious
As a flight of moths.

Jane Kohut-Bartels
Copyrighted, 2013

“The Nightingale’s Song”, a short introduction to these poems….

A little over a year ago I started a series of long poems, ultimately titled “The Nightingale’s Song”. This became a collection of twelve poems, set in 17th century Japan. It was a saga of two people, a married couple named Lord and Lady Nyo.

I loved these poems. They were highly emotional, what I hoped was a ‘slice of life’ of a samurai couple of that era. Some time before, I came across the great 8th century document, “The Man’yoshu”. This was a collection of over 4500 poems of various themes, but many of them love poems. They had such an impact upon me that I still am reading various editions of these poems. While writing what was to become “The Nightingale’s Song”, it seemed these 8th century poems spoke directly to the life of my own characters, and I wrapped some of them around the behavior and emotions of these two. People who haven’t read “The Man’yoshu” have little understanding the power of these poems: they speak directly to us through the centuries, to our inner most emotions, dilemmas, concerns. Human nature doesn’t change much over time. These poems are a testament to the power of love and longing between men and women.

Very recently I suggested to a good friend, Nick Nicholson, from Canberra, Australia, that he collaborate on this new book with me. He is a wonderful writer and poet on his own, but this time Nick will be using another talent: he will be contributing photographs to this book. He will be doing much more than this and I am very grateful for the chance to work in such concrete and deeper ways with a friend of over seven years.

Even though there is a lot of work on “The Nightingale’s Song” to be done, I am posting something of a ‘prologue’ just to introduce these poems. I don’t know how many I will post on this blog in the future, but enough I hope to interest readers. I especially want to thank the readers from Japan and other Asian countries. Your support, and occasional comments, encourage the writing here.

Lady Nyo
–

In Old Japan there was an even older daimyo called Lord Mori who lived in the shadow of Moon Mountain, far up in the Northwest of Japan. Lord Mori ran a court that did little except keep his men (and himself) entertained with drinking, hawking and hunting. Affairs of state were loosely examined and paperwork generally lost, misplaced under a writing table or under a pile of something more entertaining to his Lordship. Sometimes even under the robes of a young courtesan.

Every other year the Emperor in Edo would demand all the daimyos in the land travel to his court for a year. This was a clever idea of the honorable Emperor. It kept the daimyos from each other’s throats, plundering each other’s land, and made them all accountable to Edo and the throne.

Lord Mori was fortunate in his exemption of having to travel the months to sit in attendance on the Emperor. He was awarded this exemption with pitiful letters to the court complaining of age, ill health and general infirmities. He however, continued to hunt, hawk and generally enjoy life in the hinterlands.

True, his realm, his fiefdom, was tucked away in the mountains that were a hardship to cross. To travel to Edo took months because of the bad roads, rivers and mountain passages. A daimyo was expected to assemble a large entourage for this trip: vassals, brass polishers, flag carriers, outriders, a train of horses and mules to carry all the supplies, litters for the women, litters for advisors, and then of course, his samurai. His train of honor could be four thousand men. He sent his rather stupid eldest son to comply with the Emperor’s wishes. He agreed to have this disappointing son stay in Edo and attend the Emperor at court. Probably forever.

But this tale isn’t about Lord Mori. It’s about one of his generals, his vassal, Lord Nyo and his wife, Lady Nyo, who was born from a branch of a powerful clan, though a branch who had lost standing at the court in Edo.

Now, just for the curious, Lord Nyo is an old samurai, scarred in battle, ugly as most warriors are, and at a loss when it comes to the refinement and elegance of life, especially poetry. His Lady Nyo is fully half his age, a delicate and thoughtful woman, though without issue.

But Lord and Lady Nyo don’t fill these pages alone: there are other characters, priests, magical events, Buddhist characters and a particularly tricky Tengu who will entertain any reader of this tale.

A full moon, as in many Japanese tales, figures in the mix. As do poetry, some historic and some bad. War and battles, love and hate. But this is like life. There is no getting one without the other.

The present Lady Nyo, descended from generations past.

Jane Kohut Mori Bartels
Copyrighted, 2013