When I first met Giselle, she suggested I come by for a free Japanese tea ceremony lesson to see if I liked it. I took her up on that offer. After many years of lessons at her house, I added a tea hut (below) to my yard. We kept in touch after she moved to France.
In addition to teaching the traditional Japanese art of tea ceremony, Giselle makes beautiful tea bowls and is a published poet. I was honored when she suggested we work together on a sequence sharing haiku impressions on the subject of MADO (‘window’ in Japanese), as winter turned to spring this Tiger year. MADO is the poetic word given by Japan’s Emperor for 2022.
| M A D O Kathleen Fink, Arlington, Massachusetts, US & Giselle Maya, St. Martin de Castillon, France gazing out the window all is stillness in the garden what does my cat see way up there a flock of birds migrate across my open window no one looking in snow on the tea hut window no one looking out fox on his way to a morning tea gathering Sen Sotan invited* reading by the window pattering snow whispers all morning long sun-warmed nap Shiki-cat watching goldfinches mountain’s spring melt brand new leaves capturing raindrops one by one beginning of May swallows have returned time to choose a summer tea bowl walking this dewy path a window flashes gold as dusk descends perched in the olive tree Tora-cat moon gazing * Sen Sotan is the grandson of Sen no Rikyu, the great tea master. Sen Sotan was deeply interested in the Chado tradition and many tea people welcomed him to attend their chakai – sometimes he appeared in the form of a fox. |
Radiant Refuge 