Lament of a Shami-Chōrō

It is cold up here on this pedestal.
And the up-lighting is bothersome.
To avoid being blinded,
I must look out
at the rest of this room,
where sometimes, if I am lucky,
I see and hear the music
I love being played.

I was happier in the attic.
It was dusty,
but I was among family.

A karakasa-kozō
would tell us
how he saved an army
by keeping battle plans dry.
On full moons the chōchin-obake
would describe every festival he lit up:
the sounds of the children,
the smells of the food,
the colors of the kimonos.

And I would tell stories
of the accomplished geisha,
incomparable in music, writing, and dance,
who, assisted by me,
won the hearts of all who heard us play.
Even kami stopped to notice
when we sang.

Then the attic was opened.
I found myself here,
revered but untouched,
watching instruments too new
to have a wit of their own,
played mostly by novices.

Oh, some show promise.
But all are afraid to touch me.
A relic’s only purpose is to decorate,
even when they’d prefer
to risk being broken
over not being played.



Shamichouro-Kotofurunushi-Biwabokuboku illustration by Matt Meyer
curator of one of the most informative and beautiful sites devoted to yokai lore, yokai.com 
as well as author of two amazing books, The Night Parade of  One Hundred Demons: a field guide to Japanese Yokai
and  The Hour of Meeting Evil Spirits: an Encyclopedia of Mononoke and Magic.
(I did the biggest happy dance when he said I could use this picture; I'm a long time fan.)



Process Notes: Whew! This is my second attempt at combining two prompts. The first one was given by Magaly Guerrero with her Dark Poetry for the Cruelest Month prompt: Poetizing Japanese Folklore. The second one was entirely my fault, as it was my first prompt as part of Imaginary Gardens With Real Toads: The Way of Tea (select a poem by Sen Rikyu to base a new poem around. I chose "Once a flower’s season has passed, it should not be brought in from another location for display in the tearoom."

Japanese terms: 

The shami-chōrō, karakasa-kozō and chōchin-obake are all types of creatures collectively known as tsukumogamiold things that have a spirit animating them or have gained sentience through the passage of time. A shami-chōrō is a sentient shamisen (3 stringed Japanese musical instrument) that wishes to be played by its old master again. A karakasa-kozō is  an old oiled umbrella. A chōchin-obake is an old paper lantern.

37 comments:

  1. I felt the spirit of an old instrument, to precious to be played lamenting the loss of music... what a wonderful folklore to base your poem on.. thank you for the share.

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    1. Thank you. I've always loved stories of old things that take on a life of their own.

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    2. LOL - dang it...must remember to switch over to the blog account when I respond! But thanks for reading and participating. :)

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  2. Such an exquisite persona, voicing a longing to voice its own special music. Enchanting.

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  3. Wonderful, Rommy, especially the concluding lines! Happy Birthday!

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    1. I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Thanks for the birthday wishes. :)

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  4. Beautiful, though a touch of melancholy. Maybe some will dare touch it, and dust the dust, so folks can dance.
    Hope you're enjoying your special day, Rommy. All best! ♥

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    1. I certainly hope it gets a chance to make music again.

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  5. This has a delicacy which seems perfectly right.

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    1. Thank you. I was hoping I got the right tone across.

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  6. This is absolutely gorgeous writing Rommy :D such vivid and vibrant references in your verse. Beautifully penned. Happy Birthday ❤❤

    Lots of love,
    Sanaa

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    1. Thanks Sanaa. It was fun to get to write about some lesser known yokai.

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  7. A karakasa-kozō
    would tell us
    how he saved an army
    by keeping battle plans dry...

    This strikes me as being an apt metaphor for life! What an amazingly good read.

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    1. It was fun coming up with such a grand history for a humble item to make the point I wanted. :)

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  8. So much knowledge! I am so guilty of treating things this way...even when I give them credence of a soul....I will mend my ways immediately.
    Have a Blessed Birthday :D XXX

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    1. Then I feel I have accomplished something grand too. :)

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  9. Happy Birthday? And yet you brought us a present. I love the personification in this. I felt the longing in the protagonist (!). Beautiful.

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    1. Yes it is. Thank you for the birthday wishes and for reading my poem. :)

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  10. Happy, Happy Birthday Rommy.
    I absolutely love this poem. The lament of the instrument along with the comfort it would find in the dusty attic with those with whom it had comradere (and considered family)....love the story you have woven here. Beautiful work.

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    1. I like that it has a story-like quality as well. While I enjoy the challenge of NaPoWriMo, it will be nice to work on some short stories too in May.

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  11. Only unfeeling dead things and mad gods want to be revered from afar. I feel the speaker's sorrow throughout the lines... to live to be seen and never touched... to exists as an image of what one is supposed to be... to stop being. Such sorrow.

    There is something precious about the tone of these piece, Rommy. The story itself, but also the voice... it lingers in the heart... making it feel for the instruments.

    Happiest Birthday, my Rommy love! ♥

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    1. It is a sad an lonely existence to only be a symbol of what it is you do, especially when you know or remember a time filled with doing, even if the notes were imperfect. I am so glad you liked it. It is a simple story in poem form, but I greatly enjoyed writing it.

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  12. Beautiful, beautiful. I think we would all rather risk being broken then never being played. I love that.

    Happy happy birthday to you! You're a newer voice to me this year, and I'm so blessed to be reading you. :)

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    1. I always love visiting your site for the wonderfully charming and witting work, so the feeling is mutual. :)

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  13. "A relic’s only purpose is to decorate", I love that line, how sad if it is true,, a lovely poem, I enjoyed it very much.

    Happy Birthday! :-)

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    1. There is a world of sadness in that line.

      Thank you for the birthday wishes!

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  14. Your notes were so interesting. I love learning new things. I, like Bjorn, felt the spirit of the instrument especially in your closing portion. I can sense that hunger to be played. Beautifully woven. Thank you, for the challenge, Rommy and a very Happy Poetical Birthday to you!! :)

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    1. I'm glad I could share my enthusiasm for yokai (Japanese demon-fairy, er thingamabobs...yokai is a very wide reaching term). Thanks for the birthday wishes!

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  15. To be an instrument and no longer create music...lonely, heartbreaking. Oh I hope I'm never a relic.

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    1. I hope so too. How awful to be kept from doing the things you're meant to.

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  16. Your words bloom on the page. I, especially, love when you write of the culture you love so much. You can feel your respect for the traditions and the tools that service it when you write. Thank you for giving us a gift, even though it was your birthday! I hope it was a wonderful one!

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    1. There is a very big tradition in Japan for respecting the tools you use to create art with, no matter what the art is. It was a gift to get a chance to write about the strange things that attract my attention AND have people enjoy it. :)

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  17. Happy Birthday Rommy! I love your words! I love the information! I love the art! Fabulous all around!

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    1. Thank you! I love getting the chance to get my geek on. :)

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