The Art of Japanese Flower Arranging

by Cynthia Buell Thomas

Friday 2nd June 2017 1:22 pm

Through a flower breathes the Law:

Harmony in motion to ideal.

A blossom’s beauty mirrors intuition

Our need to press the secret mind of plants

That spirit far beyond mere shape and colour.

Once picked, the power of plant

Is dispossessed of earth.

Lost is the energy of seed

Sun, wind and water

Of growth precise in given space.

A plant does not begrudge our plucking fingers.

It’s we who must respect the tongueless gift

To give its borrowed beauty grace and substance

Sharing its innate soul

Through our discernment.

Cynthia Buell Thomas

Comments

Lyrical Lexa

Sun 30th Jul 2017 15:09

"That spirit far beyond mere shape and colour..Once picked the power of plant is dispossessed of earth." So very true and beautiful! Stevie Wonder's 'Secret Life of plants' came to mind when reading this.

suki spangles

Sat 3rd Jun 2017 23:04

Cynthia,

Quite beautiful. Thanks for sharing.

Suki

Cynthia Buell Thomas

Sat 3rd Jun 2017 15:47

Gentlemen, I'm so encouraged. Of all the poems I have ever written (and there are a lot!) this may be the one in which I most find 'myself'. Not in relationship to someone else - like daughter, sister, wife, mother, friend, pupil, teacher etc. etc. and etc.! Just 'me and existence'.

I'd like to have it in my coffin when I die, recycled, returning 'idea' to basic creation. And, 'No', that is not morbid, more like rejoicing.

What is the power of 'blue', do you think, John? Colour is hugely influential upon us.

Raj, I think they do 'speak', just not in the same way humans do. Surely you have kissed a petal - many times?

Raj Ferds

Sat 3rd Jun 2017 09:02

Beautiful Cynthia. The last five lines say it all.

Losing our connection with nature makes us weak and tired and spiritually impoverished. If only they could speak they would nourish us in a myriad ways.

Time to go go bare feet in my garden and take it all the undiluted energy there.

Raj

John Marks

Fri 2nd Jun 2017 17:53

A plant does not begrudge our plucking fingers.

It’s we who must respect the tongueless gift

I loved this Cynthia. Economy of word and image to reflect economy of shape and colour. I like blue flowers:cornflowers, forget-me-not, grape hyacinth, delphiniums. John

Cynthia Buell Thomas

Fri 2nd Jun 2017 13:15

Ikenobo and Ikebana can be confused; I think the former is particular, and the latter general, but both dealing with arranging leaves/flowers/branches in Japanese vases.

Non-Japanese cultures now tend to use many types of containers, but still follow some basic 'rules' which I find excellent to best enjoy 'picked flowers'.

If I've posted this before I'm sorry. I can't remember, and I'm too pushed for time to backtrack. It came to mind again when I saw that the BBC is going to highlight Japan this month.

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The Art of Japanese Flower Arranging

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