(p. 24, The Tale of Murasaki by Liza Dalby.)
"I had come to feel that there are moments when our hearts latch on to some aspect of nature with special intensity. The burning hue of the sky when the sun sets behind a bare-branched tree in autumn resonates in our hearts with the lonely resplendence of dying beauty. This is why a poet uses the image of sunset to burn autumn into his poem--sunset is the essence of autumn."
Saturday, December 29, 2012
Friday, December 28, 2012
What is Gojuniko?
Gojuniko is a variation on Shichijuniko, which is an ancient Japanese method of detailing the year with 72 seasonal markers, somewhat reminiscent of an almanac. It described what was happening in the natural world in microseasons. Shichijuniko literally means 72 micro-seasons.
Grass under snow. Cicadas chirp under the moon. East wind melts the ice. Hawk fledglings leave nest in the pine.
I first learned of Shichijuniko while reading Berkeley author Liza Dalby's novel, The Tale of Murasaki and have always wanted to describe the changes of season in our beautiful Marin County in this way.
2013 is the year for it!
Using the shichijuniko as inspiration, I will be blogging according to our modern calendar of 52 weeks and describing my weekly observation in English, in phrases of 3,5, or 7 words, just to preserve the minimal poetic feel...and for fun.
I consulted with a middle school pal who now lives and teaches in Japan, and we agree that this variation warrants a new, more literal name. So thanks to him, I'm naming this a Gojuniko, or literally translated, 52 micro-seasons.
Readers are invited to add their own observations, using the same 3,5, or 7 word limit (if using English.) Please add your location, either the area within Marin or the location wherever you are on the planet!
Example: Pyracantha berries ripen, robins swarm the yard. --Novato, CA.
Happy 2013, and I invite you to take time each week to consider the natural world around you!
Grass under snow. Cicadas chirp under the moon. East wind melts the ice. Hawk fledglings leave nest in the pine.
2013 is the year for it!
Using the shichijuniko as inspiration, I will be blogging according to our modern calendar of 52 weeks and describing my weekly observation in English, in phrases of 3,5, or 7 words, just to preserve the minimal poetic feel...and for fun.
I consulted with a middle school pal who now lives and teaches in Japan, and we agree that this variation warrants a new, more literal name. So thanks to him, I'm naming this a Gojuniko, or literally translated, 52 micro-seasons.
Readers are invited to add their own observations, using the same 3,5, or 7 word limit (if using English.) Please add your location, either the area within Marin or the location wherever you are on the planet!
Example: Pyracantha berries ripen, robins swarm the yard. --Novato, CA.
Happy 2013, and I invite you to take time each week to consider the natural world around you!
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