© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Photo by Marion Post Wolcott courtesy Library of Congress.
June 30, 2013
June 28, 2013
Poetry Friday--"Independence Day"
Next week is the 4th of July, which used to be more commonly known as Independence Day. The day was to celebrate declaring our independence from Britain in 1776. Through the years its meaning to the American public has changed to being a day off in the summer with fireworks after dark. I've called my poem for today, "Independence Day," instead of "4th of July," for what I hope will be obvious reasons.
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. The painting, by Frederick Childe Hassam, is "Fourth of July, 1916," courtesy of The Athenaeum. Click on the image to make it larger for reading.
I love this country, don't get me wrong, it's just that I think we are mired in a culture of consumerism and self-importance, and it worries me deeply.
Enjoy the upcoming weekend and next Thurday's holiday. Meanwhile, join me at the Poetry Friday Round-Up, which is being hosted by Amy at The Poem Farm.
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. The painting, by Frederick Childe Hassam, is "Fourth of July, 1916," courtesy of The Athenaeum. Click on the image to make it larger for reading.
I love this country, don't get me wrong, it's just that I think we are mired in a culture of consumerism and self-importance, and it worries me deeply.
Enjoy the upcoming weekend and next Thurday's holiday. Meanwhile, join me at the Poetry Friday Round-Up, which is being hosted by Amy at The Poem Farm.
June 25, 2013
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June 23, 2013
June 21, 2013
Poetry Friday--Fūrin
Looking through some old poems, I discovered that three years ago yesterday, I wrote a tanka, about Japanese wind chimes, or wind bells, called fūrin. Now that it is officially summer, there's no better time to share this tanka:
It is thought that hearing the wind bells is cooling during hot weather, or, if nothing else, is a distraction from the heat!
Fūrin is a kigo (seasonal word), used by writers of haiku, to denote summer without coming right out and saying "summer." In Kawasaki, there is a wind chimes festival held each July. I can only imagine how musically colorful it must be! And inspirational for a writer of haiku! Maybe one day...
Wind chimes of bamboo, glass, and other materials are found all over Japan. You'll even find kūrin hanging in a train station! In 1996, in an effort to combat noise pollution, 100 notable sounds worthy of conservation were designated by the Ministry of Environment as "Soundscapes of Japan." The kūrin at Mizusawa train station in Ūshū is on the list. The video below will give you an idea of the station's sounds.
See you over at Carol's Corner for the Poetry Friday Round-Up. Happy summer, everyone!
gift from Japan--
porcelain wind chime
twists in the wind
ringing a knell for souls or
simply singing of summer?
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.
It is thought that hearing the wind bells is cooling during hot weather, or, if nothing else, is a distraction from the heat!
Fūrin is a kigo (seasonal word), used by writers of haiku, to denote summer without coming right out and saying "summer." In Kawasaki, there is a wind chimes festival held each July. I can only imagine how musically colorful it must be! And inspirational for a writer of haiku! Maybe one day...
Wind chimes of bamboo, glass, and other materials are found all over Japan. You'll even find kūrin hanging in a train station! In 1996, in an effort to combat noise pollution, 100 notable sounds worthy of conservation were designated by the Ministry of Environment as "Soundscapes of Japan." The kūrin at Mizusawa train station in Ūshū is on the list. The video below will give you an idea of the station's sounds.
See you over at Carol's Corner for the Poetry Friday Round-Up. Happy summer, everyone!
June 18, 2013
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June 16, 2013
Happy Haiga Day!
© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Illustration by Jessie Wilcox Smith, courtesy NYPL Digital Gallery
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