Found Poetry - New Year Improvements

I read about found poems and thought I'd try to make one. I thought I'd like to make one about my writing this year and this is what happened. All text was repurposed from Inspirations catalog of home furnishings.

Welcome 2013, Year of the Snake

Scratching itches

Scabs fly free

Scaly skin escapes

Slithering

Swirling

Spiraling forward

Sharp incisors

Slick sleek tongue

Sick saliva spraying

Scintillating

Sparkly

Spectacular

Snake, I see you

I succumb

Spurred on by strange circumstances

Softly you surround me

Silkily you insinuate

Reasons I should celebrate

Silently after a season of storms

You sneak in shrewdly

Showering serenity and possibility.

Setsubun

On Friday night I enjoyed throwing beans out the door. Yes. I did. I have looked forward to Setsubun this year with particular relish. 


Setsubun is a Japanese observance that I truly enjoy. February 3rd is said to be the beginning of spring. To prevent bad luck from coming to them, people participate in Setsubun observances. Shrines and temples generally have events in which someone dressed up as an Oni (commonly translated as devil, but a little different from the western concept. Monster works as well) is warded off by throwing beans at him. While throwing the beans people say "Oni wa soto. Fuku wa Uchi" meaning "Devil outside. Fortune come into our home." People born in the years corresponding with the current Chinese zodiac are invited to dress as the oni. (That would be you dragon year people.) Throwing soybeans at them (mamemaki) is thought to drive away bad luck. 

While not everyone partakes in these activities, I enjoy them. This fact makes it all the more surprising that there are years I miss this celebration. At homes, especially those with children, people have their own mamemaki. Sets with masks and soybeans can be found for sale in most department stores in Japan. In my home we take turns being the oni and throwing beans. We have several masks from years past. Luckily, roasted soybeans can be found in the natural food sections of many grocery stores here in New England. 

It's great fun to throw beans at each other. We follow the tradition of saving out some beans to eat. Each person eats the number of soybeans as their age. You can see one person here had to eat far more than the other.

Perhaps one of the reasons I love Setsubun is that it is simple. It doesn't require large amounts of preparation. Yet I find myself refreshed and ready for a new season. Setsubun's focus on banishing the bad speaks to me deeply this year. 


New Year's, Chinese New Year and Setsubun - three chances to feel a fresh start this year. 

New Year's Guest

Cleaning 

Sweeping

Vacuuming cleaning

Cooking

Chopping

Stir, no stopping

Sparkle

Glisten

Shiny new

This New Year Meal 

I made for you

I was too tired

To stay awake

to see the New Year in

But on January first

when you visit me

My New Year will begin.

(Day One - Month of Poetry. The photograph is of one of the three layers of osechi (traditional Japanese New Year's food) to share with our guests today. I am grateful to have started 2012 with such wonderful friends. )