Oct 10 2018
Izumi Shikibu – Although the wind
Although the wind
by Izumi Shikibu
English version by Jane Hirshfield
Although the wind
blows terribly here,
the moonlight also leaks
between the roof planks
of this ruined house.
— from Women in Praise of the Sacred: 43 Centuries of Spiritual Poetry by Women, Edited by Jane Hirshfield
/ Image by Manwathiell /
I have several loved ones feeling particular frustration and rage at how they have been treated after finding the courage to speak out about private traumas, only to be ignored and treated with contempt by a system that would rather maintain its fading myths than its heart.
An excerpt of something I posted on Facebook a few days ago–
I try to remind myself that the greatest healers in the world are often themselves wounded in some way. The ways we find to survive trauma can open us to deep truths about ourselves and the world, unlocking hidden strength. We might, for the first time, find our authentic voice. Sometimes our job is just to cry out with such a great pure ache that the world has no choice but to stop and let its heart break open. Survivors carry the medicine the world needs, whether or not the world is smart enough to recognizes it.
Recommended Books: Izumi Shikibu
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| Women in Praise of the Sacred: 43 Centuries of Spiritual Poetry by Women | The Enlightened Heart: An Anthology of Sacred Poetry | |||
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Izumi Shikibu
Japan (974? – 1034?) Timeline |
Izumi Shikibu is one of the towering figures of Japanese literature. She lived in Kyoto and was an official companion to the empress. She married young, but scandalized the court by abandoning her husband to become the lover of one of the empress’s sons. When the prince died a few years later, she took a series of other lovers before eventually marrying for a second time.
She was a social rebel, but willing to be fully engaged in her life. And, like her personal life, Shikibu’s poetry mixes elements of eros with the deep awareness that comes from Buddhist meditative practice.
and at every daybreak
the warm sun seeps
through the worn-out shutters.
this, we can count on
no matter what state
our house is in.
at every daybreak.
Sometimes I feel like the ruined house
unable to stand upright
during the slightest of storms.
Other times, I am like the moonlight
leaking through the groaning eaves,
slashing light where there was darkness.
Right now I am the terrible wind
haunted like wolves in heat,
seeking the perfect impact to my longing
to leave behind something,
beyond the ruined houses,
to linger beyond the waxing and waning
moons to imprint into this ruined
and perfect life
something that echoes of meaning.
The leaking moonlight gives you hope
Of a moonlit night outside
Gives you wings to fly over the roof
To embrace the vast sky beyond..
All you need is valour to beat your fears
For the greatest battles are fought within
Withstand the terrible storm
And feel the moonlight leaking in..
Not just see..feel it….
And then you fly..to the horizon…