Petalstorms へイルストーン花見：１と２

A total of seventeen people participated in these two cherry-blossom-viewing events, both held in Kyoto – on April 1 and 14, respectively. The first was an evening of almost imperceptible spring drizzle moistening the newly-opened flowers, followed by a warm, hushed after-rain, through which there was a brief sighting of the full moon; the second, a glorious afternoon with occasional breezes spilling the white blossoms, now in full bloom.

We had with us two special poet guests: Sean O’Connor from Dublin at the first and Eugene Gloria from San Francisco at the second. At both, we shared sake, tea, snacks and poetry. The仏母心院pavilion beside Osawa Pond was our base for the first, although later we also visited the weeping shidare cherry-trees lit up in Mr. Toueimon Sano’s Garden nearby. We hired a platform in the spectacular Omuro Cherry Garden at Ninnaji for our second hanami, and wandered around from there. A few haiku from each:

under cherry blossoms
they say that ogres live –
no, not ogres;
oddballs, I think! 　　(Hisashi Miyazaki)

Tonight’s moon unseen
A house lamp glowing deeper
In the pond’s last light. 　　(Sean O’Connor)

a raindrop
slipping from a cherry flower;
fresh evening breeze. 　　(Mayumi Kawaharada)

By soft cloud and nightfall
The cherry blossom has been celebrated
Enough.　　 (Tito)

buzzing bees busy
savoring the blossoms –
people only look 　　(Jane Wieman)

clustered round the mobile phone:
oh, what a beautiful blossom!　　 (Richard Donovan)

petalstorms
bring shouts of joy ...
under the spring sun　　 (Mari Kawaguchi)