Hello blog friends,
Well, we've survived a tumultuous January, and according to the infamous Punxsutawney Phil, we have six more weeks of winter ahead of us. More storms, more snow, probably more upset folks.
Yvette Calleiro offers an interesting solution. She hosts Tanka Tuesday this week, and in her post, she explains that the Latin name for February means "to cleanse." (who knew?!) Anyway, Yvette invites us to consider purification or atonement in a poem. What does it mean to us? How do we incorporate that theme in our lives?
I've shared that I lived in Japan for five years, among the Burakumin. It remains the most transformative experience of my life. My then-husband and I supported ourselves by teaching English. Living in the outcast community meant our rents were low — and conveniences nonexistent. Folks in these communities have very little water. They, and we, used the public baths. It was the 1970s.
When I think of Japan, I think of my neighbors, the nearby temples, the Zen Master I studied with, and the aroma of incense which permeated the air.
Some Japanese clear their homes of emotions or unhealthy energy with incense. And, when they pray, they often use this fragrance. Incense is both a purification ritual and a way of lifting their supplications. I believe most major religions use incense in a similar way, and my tanka tries to capture this practice.
Well, we've survived a tumultuous January, and according to the infamous Punxsutawney Phil, we have six more weeks of winter ahead of us. More storms, more snow, probably more upset folks.
Yvette Calleiro offers an interesting solution. She hosts Tanka Tuesday this week, and in her post, she explains that the Latin name for February means "to cleanse." (who knew?!) Anyway, Yvette invites us to consider purification or atonement in a poem. What does it mean to us? How do we incorporate that theme in our lives?
I've shared that I lived in Japan for five years, among the Burakumin. It remains the most transformative experience of my life. My then-husband and I supported ourselves by teaching English. Living in the outcast community meant our rents were low — and conveniences nonexistent. Folks in these communities have very little water. They, and we, used the public baths. It was the 1970s.
When I think of Japan, I think of my neighbors, the nearby temples, the Zen Master I studied with, and the aroma of incense which permeated the air.
Some Japanese clear their homes of emotions or unhealthy energy with incense. And, when they pray, they often use this fragrance. Incense is both a purification ritual and a way of lifting their supplications. I believe most major religions use incense in a similar way, and my tanka tries to capture this practice.
I hope you have a wonderful week, dear friends. And, if you use incense, I'd love to know what it means to you. 🌞
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