Pride Month, and other Haibun - 5. Watching a Dance

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Watching a Dance

Haibun

"A day so lovely, it makes the angels sigh."

I know I have heard these lyrics before, and as clear, summer weather approaches, I conjure up images of the season: of moving shards reflected on placid lake water; of high, vaporous clouds barely tracing themselves overhead; and of honest smiles squinting through the sunshine. It is the one season where our experience might seem identical to the others which have passed. Through the temporal, the eternal.

With methodical movements

the dancer's fan unfolds.

Here her motion balances

material with spiritual.

The gracefulness on display

is like a dervish's fingers –

Up to capture the divine,

down to channel it to substance –

To the earthly-spun fiber

making the matter of our souls.

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Poets know about enjoying these quiet moments of communion with ourselves. Recently I've read about Hanjō. He lived two consecutive lives, one as the partner of the Emperor Nimmyo, and another as a recluse meditant. You see, the worldly and sophisticated poet lost his lord to an early death, and Hanjō retired to take holy orders in the Buddhist faith. Giving up everything he ever obtained in 'life,' the widower sought the higher answers which might make himself the impeccable example of a love for another that would not be spoiled by further voluptuousness. How many of us could follow a similar path...?

Now a cricket chirps,

not caring for closed windows

or what lies beyond.

◇ ◇ ◇

So these thoughts lead me to consider a wonderful folktale, and in fact I suppose if someone wants to know what is at the heart of Japanese sensibilities, they should study this legend. It goes that one day an angel was flying through the sky and felt so moved by the beauty and serenity of the countryside she decided to alight. By a cool mountain stream, she disrobed her wings and hung them on a tree before going in. A short time later, a farmer came along and found these totems of paradise. The angel was distressed and begged the man to leave them, but he would only agree to trade. "What do you want?" she asked. "One dance with you." And so she arose from the water, donned her heavenly vestments and spent a few minutes endowing the mortal with the bliss of a perfect dance.

Hanjō captured a moment of summertime just like this.

Not too quickly, wind,

part the clouds and take from me

this heaven on earth –

the ethereal maidens'

dance of perfect perfection.

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