Tuesday 9 March 2021

what colour is a season

 Looking for haiku information, I came across the translation of the Zokuhen (Sequel) of the Eiga monogatari by Professor Takeshi Watanabe. It's not an easy read, especially with my very limited knowledge of Japanese history. But it is interesting anyway.

In the first 'chapter' on the site, which is Book 31, I think because it is a continuation of the work, there is a mention of ladies writing poems on "thin paper of the color of autumn leaves". Reading this, I though of brown paper, maybe the colour of a paper bag or the cheaper sort of envelopes; when I was trying to find the passage again I searched for 'brown' - that's how strong the connection was in my mind. Re-reading it, I think the paper was actually red, as in momiji/crimson leaves. In my defence, the first poem finishes with "autumnal wind among the pines" which puts the image of pine trees in my mind, dark green unchanging through the seasons.

I enjoy changing my wardrobe between spring/summer and fall/winter. Some people would see it as silly, and I don't really have a system for classifying garments, but still, I'm forward to pulling out the clothes I see as spring-like.