I can only art
droplets of my own heart’s blood
to paint full color.
This poem is linked to Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads: Tuesday Platform and Poets United Poetry Pantry 439.
Liner Notes for this Groove:
You might think that studying
Japanese tea ceremony only involves the study of tea.
*tries to refrain from laughing and
spitting out a perfectly good mouthful of tea*
If, as Mary Lou Heiss said, “A
simple cup of tea is far from a simple matter”, preparing a bowl of matcha in
the traditional manner is exponentially more complicated than that. Firstly,
aside from learning how to whip the perfect bowl of tea, you get an education
in appreciating pottery, incense, calligraphy, confection making, flower
arranging, poetry and kimono wearing. All these related arts have their own
sets of rules and traditions around them.
Take kimonos for instance. You
should choose your kimono based on the season and the type of gathering you
will be at. But even within the rules, there is room for a self-expression. My
tea teacher had a kimono I loved, white with a pretty geometric pattern
sprinkled with tiny books. I say had, because last Saturday, she handed it down
to me. Now it is a casual kimono because of the print, but I’m going to love
wearing it because, well, I kind of feel like it’s another way to bring a bit
of who I am to the art form that is Japanese tea ceremony.
It’s true that some of the best art
really requires at least some (if not all) of the artist’s heart to bring it to
life. And by heart, I mean feeling. Anyone can truthfully describe a laundry-list
of observations they make. Even if it’s all technically correct, it’s about as
moving as a dead battery. Show how those things make you feel. As for me, that
element of a perfectly suited for me kimono will likely make me smile bigger,
and possibly give my wrist a little more happy energy with which to whip the
matcha.
So Groovers, how do you like to
express your unique style? If you have a cyberhome, elaborate on that in the
comments section and be generous and share your cyber address so we can stop by
and say hey. As always you can just chat about what’s new with you there
too.
What a lovely gift! And so perfect for you!
ReplyDeleteI love it so frickin much!
DeleteSurprize!!! And if you make a mistake try to paint over it. Also home remedies for washing blood out. If that doesn't work your own, only yours. Will wash ir.
ReplyDeletehttps://jimmiehov.blogspot.com/?m=1
My other groove since 2006
Reminds me a bit of Bob Ross's words about happy accidents in painting, and making it work. :)
DeleteSuch a gorgeous kimono, Rommy!!❤️
ReplyDeleteIt really is. Can't wait to wear it. :)
DeleteThe opening senryu is beyond delicious in its truth, its descriptiveness, and poetic beauty. I really love how humility dances with understanding and self-awareness to make for a breathe of poetry that leaves the lungs and heart happy.
ReplyDeleteAbout the kimono? Well, what Debra said (and a bit more). I can't think of anything that says more "Rommy" than a kimono decorated with wee books. What a statement!
Here is my bit for this week:
On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/p/BtgS_hXhBvX/
and
On Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10214223996259262&set=a.1017854612047&type=3&theater
Whichever floats your cyber-boat.
So sorry for the ugliness of the links, no idea what happened there.
DeleteThat is a funky looking format! No worries. I found your poetic bit just fine. :) Thanks for the kind words about the senryu.
DeleteThat's such a beautiful kimono!
ReplyDeleteYour words ring true when it comes to our expression — the art requires us to give something away, call it the heart or feeling or anything else. "to paint full color" is a lovely way of putting it. :-)
It is up to use what, and how much, of that feeling we add. But we get a pretty pale picture without it.
DeleteYes, your lines come from your heart and shine so brightly for that.
ReplyDeleteAw! Thanks Sherry.
DeleteOh my that kimono is awesome!! What a lovely special gift.
ReplyDeleteI was very touched that she gave it to me.
DeleteFirst of all I love the poem, and what an amazingly beautiful gift.
ReplyDeleteThanks Susie. Yeah, I was over the moon when she gave it to me.
Deleteto paint full colour... that's so true- it has to emerge from somewhere deep within! I witnessed a japanese tea ceremony once and more than anything the attention to every little detail was very striking.
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of details to be mindful of. And the forms vary depending on the season and type of gathering. But once you have them down, you can really get into a flow with the movements.
DeleteI love the tiny books! Such a cute pattern, and such a beautiful gift.
ReplyDeleteIKR? So cute!
DeleteOnly way to make art, really!
ReplyDeleteAgreed!
DeleteFirstly Luuurve the Kimono!
ReplyDeleteAdore the sentiment in your poem. I am often tempted to do exactly that in my art(like some of the old masters did), but modern H&S frowns upon bodily floods in transit lol
As to my cyber home...it is a place of devotion...honesty...and innermost truths (with a little papercrafting thrown in). Not been there too much lately as my "actual" home is too busy for meditation at the moment, and I do consider that I am in a meditative state when I write....opening myself up to emotion and other existences. BUT it is generally a happy place where all are welcome XXX
Doh...forgot the link lol https://daydreambeliever-gina.blogspot.com/
Delete*snicker-snort* H&S can be such a spoil sport.
DeleteGods, I hear you about the busy home stuff. It settled down a tiny bit when they became teens. I realized I was the only early bird in the family on weekends - it's nice and quiet Saturday and Sunday mornings. :D
That quote by Mary Lou Heiss resonates. And how fascinating is the Japanese tea ceremony! So much beautiful and intricate artistry involved.
ReplyDeleteThe kimono...what a lovely and thoughtful gift! Your tea teacher is most generous. I can imagine you striding elegantly in your kimono. :-)
Oh, art! Indeed, requires blood. You put this so well in your poem.
Now, to your question, “how do you like to express your unique style?” I thought hard about it, and I'm bit late but here’s my response: https://www.khayaronkainen.fi/express/
She really was! LOL, I shall aim for elegant, but will probably manage silly giddy, at least the first few times. :D
DeleteHere's my contribution... my art.
ReplyDeletehttp://keltikmystique.blogspot.com/2019/02/in-her-recent-blog-post-rommy-asked-her.html
Yay! Thank you for playing along. :)
DeleteWhat a beautiful gift Rommy!! That is so special! I love the pattern!
ReplyDeleteI've been inking "skulls"! LOL! I'm calling the pictures "Skully Love"! LOL! I don't know where they are coming from, but I'm having fun! Big Hugs!
OMG! That sounds so cool. I hope you share the finished project.
DeleteBack for another read from the Pantry. The tea ceremony is fascinating! I just read a book about the Japanese art of flower arranging, also very cool. The Seasons of My Mother, memoir about the author's mother, who studied, practiced and taught this art. A wonderful memoir, as her mother faded into Alzheimers.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to add that to my To-Read list. I took a couple of intro to tea flower arranging classes and wasn't awful at it. :D
DeleteI do love the way you express yourself within a very stringent set of rules... in a way the same way as I write poetry, I need the guiding rails the rules to truly bleed out my emotions....
ReplyDeleteTo write a perfect sonnet is a lot like making that perfect matcha... (and I understand that the rules of drinking the tea is hard to master too)
Writing a sonnet intimidates me far more than creating a perfect bowl of matcha, but I ought to give that a whirl sometime.
DeleteThe poem & notes together are such a perfect illustration; the poem's clarity is expanded.
ReplyDeleteThanks Chrissa
DeleteWhat a wonderful gift, and I like your poem too. To me it says...poetry comes from the heart!
ReplyDeleteI quite agree
DeleteI love your poem and the write up too. The kimono is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThanks Myrna!
DeleteI spent 3 months in Japan and if I had my way I would have stayed.
ReplyDeleteI still haven't made it too Japan - yet. But that's on my bucket list.
DeleteAn amazing pressie! Good for you :) I love the poem at the beginning.
ReplyDeleteI was so stunned by it. Glad you enjoyed the poem :)
DeleteHow important it is to put part of you in writing so readers recognise your style. Many of us do this already. As for the kimomo I agree it is beautiful but I have noticed as I have got older that almost everything and everyone is! Politicians excepted of course.
ReplyDeleteLOL, it would be a kinder and more forgiving heart than mine that could see the beauty of some of the jokers we have running my country.
DeleteI so enjoy reading your wonderfully rendered, edifying posts, Rommy.
ReplyDeleteAw, thanks Wendy :)
DeleteI used to be a kimono person but now I have progresses or regressed , depending on your point of view , to the sarong.
ReplyDeleteIt's just a different kind of pretty.
DeleteA wee favor (in lieu of email addresses): I hate to bother you with this, Rommy, but for some reason I have been having trouble getting my comments to post to Magaly's blog. It keeps popping back telling me it isn't secure (whatever that means!) It started very abruptly about 3 weeks ago (I have no idea what changed - it always worked before and it still seems to work for others). I know that you are acquainted and if you happen to 'hook up' could you mention it to her. Honestly, I feel so bad about it! Of course, delete this comment, once read.
ReplyDeleteI let her know. She'll take care of it.
DeleteThanks, Rommy. It seems to be fixed. I gather I wasn't the only one who couldn't post a comment, so it's nice that we were able to get it sorted out.
Delete