The bronze peony

BRONZE PEONY A Kasen Meditation Lucia Alexis Gainer

BRONZE PEONY A Kasen Meditation Lucia Alexis Gainer

BRONZE PEONY A Kasen Meditation

Copyright © 2018 by Lucia Alexis Gainer

Also by Lucia Alexis Gainer THE HIDDEN GARDEN SONGS FROM THE SUMMIT

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever except as provided

by U. S. Copyright Law.

Perennial House Fresno, California

BRONZE PEONY A Kasen Meditation Lucia Alexis Gainer

By Lucia Alexis Gainer The Hidden Garden Songs From the Summit

THE BRONZE PEONY and KASEN POETRY Centuries ago, during Japan’s Heian period (794 - 1191), a unique form of poetry known as waka became popular. Verses written in waka held to a strict form of thirty-one syllables, arranged in five lines with 5-7-5-7-7 syllables, respectively. The first practitioners of waka were courtiers and aristocrats who used the form to express their opinions and interests on a wide range of topics, from politics to social customs, usually in a humorous fashion. Later the form became popular with artists who used it for the expression of emotions and observations about nature and its beauties. Thus, it became recognized as a serious poetic form.

Here is a an example of waka, written by one of Japan’s most famous poets, Saigyo (born Sato Norikiyo in 1118): Samazama ni hana sakikeri to mishi nobe no

Fields we saw blooming with so many different flowers,

onaji iro ni mo shimogarenikeru

frost-withered now to a single hue

Another poet, Ki no Tsurayuki, also specialized in the waka form: The Autumn mountains Weave Autumn leaves For offerings, so Even I, living here, Feel the urge to travel.

Tsurayuki wrote of the importance waka poets placed on man’s connection with nature: "The poetry of Japan has its roots in the human heart and flourishes in the countless leaves of words. Because human beings possess interests

of so many kinds it is in poetry that they give expression to the meditations of their hearts . . . . Hearing the warbler sing among the blossoms and the frog in his fresh waters — is there any living being not given to song!"

A variation on the waka form of poetry included renga, which consisted of a series of waka poems composed by two or more poets. The poets would alternate in the writing of stanzas. Some renga poems consisted of 100 or even more stanzas. One popular form of renga was the 36-verse kasen. Kasens were often written according to strict subject protocols whereby each stanza was written about a certain subject, such as spring or summer or the moon, etc. The “Bronze Peony” is a variation of a kasen poem. It is written according to a format that was common among early renga authors. This format is: Verse # 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

Subject Spring Spring Spring Miscellaneous Moon Misc.

Misc.

Love Love Love Misc.

Misc.

Verse # 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

Subject Verse # Subject Moon 25 Love Summer 26 Misc.

Summer 27 Love Misc.

28 Misc.

Spring Flower 29 Moon Spring 30 Misc.

Spring 31 Autumn Misc.

32 Misc.

Misc.

33 Misc.

Misc.

34 Misc.

Winter 35 Spring Flower Winter 36 Close of Spring

The “Bronze Peony” is about the seasons and nature, but, like most kasens, is also about love, loss, joy and eternity, about the peace, serenity and awe that nature is bound to inspire when one takes the time to look at her as she really is.

1

Within the shelter Of a small enclosed garden Young peony shoots Sense the wind’s gentle caress Begin their climb into Spring

2

Golden dragonflies Attach themselves to the stems Solve by their presence The strange riddle of Winter Recite eternal poems

3

Deep in Nature’s womb The place where she has hidden Her precious secrets The tendrils of life are formed Fastened securely to Grace

4

Bees, satiated And full of mallow nectar, Return to the hive Humming sacred melodies Deep within a hollow limb

5

Overhead, the moon, Filled with its own sweet nectar, Hides behind the day Until the sweet darkness falls To pour out its amber balm

6

Pink mariposas, Fluttering in silent waves, Nibble the sunlight Sip from the cups of balsam, Bluebells and honeysuckle

7

Mice scatter the leaves Sensing danger everywhere But the hunger calls; They gather fruit and seed pods Nibble quickly, hurry home

8

A finch, twittering, Arranges her mating bed Sings her morning song -It flows throughout the garden Washing away the silence

9

Sunlight embraces The dewdrops from last night’s rain Just as my heart seeks To cast its warmth over you To fold you into my arms

10

The dove’s plaintive calls Only deepen my sadness At the emptiness Enveloping our small hut Now that you have gone away

11

I could not find sleep Until I released the need To feel your presence Until my heart relented And cast you into the night

12

Never may we say The plum has blossomed in vain Or the young lark’s song Has wafted through the garden Without each note being heard

13

Fat possums emerge By the light of the full moon Pointy heads swaying From side to side, seeking out The fruit they yearn to devour

14

Tiny green peaches Already cling to the limbs Signaling again Nature’s eternal promise God’s favor and abundance

15

The full summer moon is a yellow marigold In the vase of night Reminding me of the stars I see deep within your eyes

16

The fountain reflects Sunlight upon the myrtle Inviting the doves -Dipping and splashing they bathe Gently whispering their love

17

Suddenly they burst All along their tall straight stalks: Blue delphiniums Like stars fastened to a stem An azure feast for the eye

18

The young almond tree Floats within an ivory cloud A soft universe Drifting through my small garden Drawing all things into it

19

The earth in my hands Is moist and warm to the touch Full, overflowing Ready to bestow its gift Upon all who kneel to her

20

After the night rain Comes the sun to chase away The thick morning fog; My soul is wrapped in a mist Only your love can dispel

21

Dollops of sunlight Dance upon the window pane Waking me from sleep The night mists are still tangled In the tips of the fir trees

22

Dark, frosty mornings Cannot chill the lark’s desire To sing of his joy Knowing as he does that soon Summer’s beauty will arrive

23

Feather clouds swallow The blue-misted mountaintops Thunderclaps rumble We hide in an elbow cleft While rain washes the rocks clean

24

The cold emptiness Whispers of my deep desire To return to you Just as the waves of winter Seek out the sand’s tender touch

25

Everywhere I look The sky, the trees, the ocean!

I see your image I know this will never cease Your presence is within me

26

I watch a robin Spread its wings over its young To keep out the cold Just so, I can feel my heart Spread out, over you, with love

27

The splashing river Speaks many words as it flows Over the smooth rocks My love, too, speaks as it flows Across hills, searching for you

28

The lark’s notes flamed hot Setting the woodland on fire; Then he fell quiet As though he were in sorrow Yet still I hear him singing

29

In the soft moonlight I hear the voice of the dove Calling plaintively Is it calling to me? Or to a stranger far away?

30

Ebony ravens Circle the nest of the hawk Raucous, complaining Bellowing until the lone Red-tail grows weary and flees

31

The fluttering wings Of the autumn butterfly Brush the air’s canvas With tints of amber sunlight And shades of winter’s approach

32

Skylarks kiss the sky Not minding that we are near But woodlarks are shy Preferring the distant fields The copse, the holy silence

33

I find sandpipers Keeping vigil on the shore They watch in silence As the sun flees with the day Escaping the night’s embrace

34

As the tide recedes I discover a pink shell Hold it to my ear It is whispering a name And so I leave it behind

35

Blue Bells cease tolling The precious hours of spring Its brief spell has passed Yet they still bloom joyfully New springs will arrive one day

36

The clouds have parted To reveal a crescent moon Shining milky white; Within the crook of its arm Lies the fading heart of spring