Monday 27 May 2013

Netsuke by Gabby Tyrell

Netsuke (Manju) taken from image Tales in the Round on museum website

Poem 1
Sweetcake
Carved by father’s hands over time
The man who dressed in a hurry - late for his meeting ran
through the village.

Hair slapdash with no care
Robes like open sails
Swirled around Sweetcake
destination unsure.

A smile crept across father’s face
With tools called Sou Sou and Mou.
He caught this moment in Netsuke.
This story is between you and me.
A secret laid bare Sweetcake
aptly named Loved his Netsuke
Each crumb and wrap of material
Belied his fate.

Fined 200 Yuan for once again being late.

Gabby Tyrrell
  



Poem 2
The tax collector
Carved by hands in ancient times in ivory
Or wood
the man who dressed in a hurry
late for the ceremony ran past me.
Robes unfurled like open sails
his hair slapdash.

Father in a time long gone watched and smiled
Carved this scene as Netsuke
-  this story between you and me.
The tax collector Sweetcake
Was fined 200 Yuan for his love of Netsuke
made him late once too often.

Now his wife makes him shop.
He always walking, put on a diet of veg and rice,
head bowed in front of his wife.

Gabby Tyrrell












No comments:

Post a Comment