What was once as white
As those pure, frozen fractals
Before being stained
With the occidental dirt?
It was sweet to stare
At the graced woman
Her chalk face and her kimono
Resembling the colors of an endless shape
Reflecting the rainbow irregularly
And the nature of a land
Stained with honored blood
Yamato Nadeshiko was her name
Her skin was as straight
As both the silk wrapping
Such a gracious shape
And the petals of sakura behind
Not disturbing the scenery
But resembling the shape of her kiss
Oh, how I'd give a lifetime and a year
To listen to the enka from her voice
And falling in love with lyrics
About her long gone samurai
But patient, the green tea and her
Wait before the limits
Of the snow and the wood
I want to meet the grace of
The summer Matsuri and the tea ceremony
And to be enchanted by her gentle manners
But from this distance
I am therefore limited
To watching her dress dance
And a shamisen to be plucked
The illusion didn't last
Her samurai didn't come back
She longed there until her kimono
Was pierced with an occidental bullet
Author notes
Kimono <- Used as a prompt. And don't get me wrong, I don't dislike the occidental culture, but the Japanese feudal times seem great for me.
I've used some Japanese terms along the poem (Besides kimono), and here are them explained:
Yamato Nadeshiko: The stereotype of the ideal Japanese woman
Sakura: Cherry blossom
Enka: Traditional Japanese ballad
Matsuri: Japanese folk festival
Shamisen: Japanese string musical instrument
If you have more doubts, ask away.
A contest entry
- Kimono by Beverlynohime.
490 points, ended April 7, 7 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Personal Favorite by SincerelyMegan.
600 points, ended May 12, 22 entries
Silver trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
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Goodness! I am really interested in Asian culture. Being chinese and living in America, I never really get much out of the culture here.
Great job! I can't say it enough.
"It was sweet to stare
At the graced woman
Her chalk face and her kimono
Resembling the colors of an endless shape
Reflecting the rainbow irregularly
And the nature of a land
Stained with honored blood"
-That was definitely my favorite stanza. I loved the imagery.
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Lovely. You have fused fact and fiction beautifully here and it is refreshing to see plenty of background knowledge about the subject on which you are writing. A well deserved gold, my friend!!
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THIS IS FANTASTIC!
I also love the feudal times. and I know all of this as i take Japanese in school!
Thank you very much for this delightful entry!
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