Origins of Bamboo Night
Bamboo Night origins - Story behind the epic haiku poem “Bamboo Night”
It is a tribute poem to Matsuo Basho. In 1674, December 20th. The 354th. day of the year. It was a Thursday if I remember correctly; The epic haiku poem takes place in the solitude of the bamboo forest in Ueno Japan at precisely 2:35 am near where the Sumida and Ara Rivers meet in the dead of night and depths of Winter. A handful of twinkling stars fight their way through scattered gray clouds. A soft light breeze holds tiny snow flakes suspended, then lands them ever so gently on solid green bamboo shoots and related surfaces in absolute silence, in absolute cold, with no one around to witness the solemn event. There are no discernible sounds at all in the dark green forest.
A perfectly round moon stands up above totally remote, hovering, suspended in time, an inanimate gray white object almost bright, frozen on the distance, settles, shines down, just to the northwest of the regions coldest location. Some snow flakes land temporarily, shake in a frenzy on the soft wind, to hold on but are lifted again off the surface of the bamboo, drift away silently into oblivion. Certain flakes remain intact on the green, pretend to be green. By dawn they turn, in an ever so slower process, into a clear liquid, evaporate in the mist of morning. The conditions are verging on warmth but are still too cold to be called warm. The snow then begins to disappear forever, one tiny flake at a time. Some white remains but mostly green is seen at the dawn of day. Calm and silence can be soothing under the shimmering stars and tranquil frozen moon. Snow becomes a memory by high noon. By December 21st. evening, new snow comes forth from sleeping clouds, to repeat the cycle once more in Ueno forest.
Bamboo Night - Haiku
melting by star light
slow, tranquil, solemn moon cold
snow on bamboo white
Copyright © Earl Schumacker | Year Posted 2017
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