“The Night of the Stain”….

 

THE NIGHT OF THE STAIN
–

Izumi hid in the willow greenery
cascading to the ground.
Hair of blackbird gloss
Trailing in the grass
Black and green tangled
In the layers of her hems.

Her maid searched for her,
Full of duty to her mistress.
These peaceful moments now rare.

“My Lady! I found the most beautiful
Robe in the bottom of a chest.
It will be perfect for your wedding”

Yes, her wedding.
(Better she shave her head and become a nun)
Izumi parted the willow,
Looked without interest,
Her maid holding
A pale jade silk kimono
Embossed tarnished silver embroidery,
Seed pearls gleaming from
Gossamer folds.

Izumi’s breath caught in her throat.
Hands trembling
She opened the kimono.

There it was, faded with time-
A blood stain.

He was dead now, her greatest love.
Closing her eyes
She remembered his face,
His hair black as a raven,
His sandalwood perfume, still faintly trapped
In the jade bo silk.

Through tears leaking
From shadowed lids,
She remembered that night-
The night of the stain,
When locked in his powerful arms
She screamed out—
Scattering the servants listening outside the shoji.
She had bled from
The strength of their passion.

Now she was to marry an old man,
Arranged through the court.
Scandal and poverty, Ah!
The two banes of life.

She would marry in the stained kimono.
It wouldn’t matter anymore.

 

Jane Kohut-Bartels
Copyrighted, 2011-2015,  “The Night of the Stain” is from “A Seasoning of Lust”, Amazon.com 2016

 

‘The Night of the Stain’, from “A Seasoning of Lust”

Japanese Lovers

THE NIGHT OF THE STAIN

–

Izumi hid in the willow greenery

cascading to the ground.

Hair of blackbird gloss

Trailing in the grass

Black and green tangled

In the layers of her hems.

–

Her maid searched for her,

Full of duty to her mistress.

These peaceful moments now rare.

–

“My Lady! I found the most beautiful

Robe in the bottom of a chest.

It will be perfect for your wedding.”

–

Yes, her wedding.

(Better she shave her head and become a nun)

Izumi parted the willow,

Looked without interest,

Her maid holding

A pale jade silk kimono

Embossed tarnished silver embroidery,

Seed pearls gleaming from

Gossamer folds.

–

Izumi’s breath caught in her throat.

Hands trembling

She opened the kimono.

There it was, faded with time-

A blood stain.

–

He was dead now, her greatest love.

Closing her eyes

She remembered his face,

His hair black as a raven,

His sandalwood perfume, still faintly trapped

In the jade bo silk.

–

Through tears leaking

From shadowed lids,

She remembered that night-

The night of the stain,

When locked in his powerful arms

She screamed out—

Scattering the servants listening outside the shoji.

She had bled from

The strength of their passion.

–

Now she was to marry an old man,

Arranged through the court.

Scandal and poverty, Ah!

The two banes of life.

–

She would marry in the stained kimono.

It wouldn’t matter anymore.

–

Jane Kohut-Bartels

Copyrighted, 2011-2015

“The Night of the Stain”, from ‘A Seasoning of Lust’

I have been working on a piece that is based on the Man’yoshu, the 8th century Japanese document of over 4500 poems. What I have begun to do is a ‘call and answer’ for lack of a better term. Taking the top poem from the Man’yoshu, I have continued on with my own poetry (answer). In the next week I hope to finish this task.

I post “The Night of the Stain” to change the theme and to bring us into the very romantic Man’yoshu poetry that is to come.

There is a reference to a dildo in this poem. It may shock some, but in Japan there are museums to this sexual toy. Giving a dildo has a long tradition and is not something that dismays the Japanese. Well, at least not many of them.

Lady Nyo

THE NIGHT OF THE STAIN

Izumi hid in the willow greenery
Jade green strands cascading to the ground
Hair of blackbird gloss
Trailing in the grass
Black and green tangled
In the layers of her hems.

Her maid searched for her,
Duty to her mistress,
These peaceful moments now rare.

“My Lady! I found the most beautiful
Robe in the bottom of a chest.
It will be perfect for your wedding”

Yes, her wedding.
Better she become a nun.

Izumi parted the willow,
Looked without interest.
Her maid held
A pale jade silk kimono
Embossed tarnished silver embroidery,
Seed pearls gleaming from
Gossamer folds.
Izumi’s breath caught in her throat.
Hands trembling
She opened the kimono.

There it was, faded with time-
A blood stain.

He was dead now, her greatest love.
Closing her eyes
She remembered his face,
His hair, black as a raven,
His sandalwood perfume, still faintly trapped
In the jade bo silk.

Through tears leaking
From shadowed lids,
She remembered that night-
She remembered the gift of an ivory dildo.
She remembered the night of the stain,
When locked in his powerful arms
She screamed out—
Scattering servants listening outside the shoji.
She had bled from
The strength of their passion.

Now she was to marry an old man,
Arranged through the court.
Scandal and poverty, Ah!
The two banes of life.

She would need the dildo.
She would marry in the stained kimono.
It wouldn’t matter anymore.

Jane Kohut-Bartels
Copyrighted, 2011, 2013

‘The Night Of The Stain’, for d’versepoets.com

 

Heian era Woman with Tengu

In ancient Japan, (this poem deplicts the situation of a court woman, obviously cast off, in 12th century Heian Japan) and even in modern Japan, the giving of a dildo was a not uncommon gift, between lovers, husbands and wives and even girlfriends.  The Japanese, modest, demure people, have a different attitude towards sex than Westerners.  There are many museums all over Japan dedicated to sexual themes, gigantic phalluses, sex toys, etc.  Many of them are staffed by little old ladies. 

The beautiful woodblock prints of shunga (erotic  ‘how-to’ and with ridiculously proportioned masculine genitalia) were collected, bound and given to newly married couples.  A very early form of porn from Japan, but usually exquisitely made.

The Japanese might be a modest people, but they are no prudes.

Ancient, and indeed much modern poetry in Japan does not have punctuation. I have been playing with this lately, and paring down the words in my poems, trying for the least amount to still carry the poem.

Lady Nyo

–

The Night Of The Stain

–

Izumi hid in the willow greenery

Living strands cascading to the ground

Hair of blackbird gloss

Also trailing in the grass

Black and green tangled

In the layers of her hems.

–

Her maid searched

Full of duty to her mistress.

These peaceful moments now rare.

–

“My Lady! I found the most beautiful

Robe in the bottom of a chest.

It will be perfect for your wedding.”

–

Yes, her wedding.

(Better she become a nun)

Izumi parted the willow,

Looked without interest.

Her maid holding

A pale jade silk kimono

Embossed tarnished silver embroidery,

Seed pearls gleaming from

 Gossamer folds.

–

Izumi’s breath caught in her throat.

Hands trembling

She opened the kimono.

There it was, faded with time-

A blood stain.

–

He was dead now, her greatest love.

Closing her eyes

She remembered his face,

His hair, black as a raven,

His sandalwood perfume, still faintly trapped

In the jade bo silk.

–

Through tears leaking

From shadowed lids,

She remembered that night-

His gift of an ebony dildo.

She remembered the night of that stain,

When locked in his powerful arms

She screamed out—

Scattering the servants listening outside the shoji.

She had bled from

The strength of their passion.

–

Now she was to marry an old man,

Arranged through court.

Scandal and poverty, Ah!

The two banes of life.

She would need the dildo.

She would marry in the stained kimono.

It wouldn’t matter anymore.

–

Jane Kohut-Bartels

Copyrighted, 2011

from “A Seasoning of Lust“, 2009, Lulu.com

The Night of the Stain

Last year I was asked by a friend to gather my Japanese-styled writings and publish them  together.  For the previous three years I wrote tanka, haiku, very short stories and an unfinished novella:  Goldfish.

The final manuscript, “The Lady Nyo Poems and Stories” was to be published in Chicago, but I wasn’t really happy with it.  And the novella, Goldfish decided it wasn’t really finished.  There was more to the story.

I put it aside and went on to finish and publish “The Zar Tales”, but it has been on my mind lately.  Perhaps it’s the heat and humidity. I have really no idea why it has surfaced again now.

I’m working on “The Kimono” this summer, but I think this shorter collection of poems and stories will come out of hiding sooner or later.  “Bad Karma” and “A Fortunate Fate” are a few pieces I have posted here originally from “A Seasoning of Lust”, published by Lulu.com in 2009.

Lady Nyo

—

THE NIGHT OF THE STAIN

Miu  stood under the willow, greenery enveloping her like silk streamers, hiding her. Her maid Zazu was searching for her.  These peaceful moments were rare.

“My Lady!  I have found the most beautiful robe in the bottom of a chest.  It will be perfect for your wedding.”

Yes, her wedding.  Miu parted the willow.  Zazu was holding a pale jade silk kimono, embossed with seed pearls and silver embroidery.  Miu’s breath caught in her throat.

She opened the kimono.  There it was, though faded with time.  A blood stain.

She remembered when she wore it.  He was dead, but her greatest love.

Closing her eyes, she remembered his face, black hair and perfume. She could still smell the sandalwood.  She remembered him—and his gift of an ebony dildo.  She remembered the night of that stain, when locked in his powerful arms she screamed out in passion and made the servants scatter outside the shoji.  She had bled from the strength of their lovemaking.

Now she was to marry an old man, arranged because of poverty.  She would need the dildo.  She would marry him in the stained kimono.   It wouldn’t matter anymore.

Jane Kohut-Bartels

Copyrighted, 2009, 2010