2025 Poetry Gathering: Poetry about dreams and tea ceremony
With the new year upon us, the season for the first poetry gathering has finally arrived. This year's theme is "Dreams." Dreams symbolize the infinite possibilities that exist within the heart. The tea ceremony also has a world that is connected to dreams. The spirit of a once-in-a-lifetime encounter that is embodied in a single bowl of tea, and the invisible spirit of harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility. These are delicate and fleeting, just like dreams, yet they certainly resonate with people's hearts.
There are many different moments in the tea ceremony that give one the feeling of a dream. For example, at a winter tea ceremony when the hearth has just been opened, the scenery of rising steam and the flickering light reflected in the tea bowls. These things possess a beauty that is like a fragment of a dream. Furthermore, a glimpse of the "dream" the host has in mind can be seen in the choice of hanging scroll, flowers, and utensils. The sensation of finding hope and peace for the future in a wabi-sabi landscape is perhaps the very "dream" that can be experienced through the tea ceremony.
When I came across this title, I thought anew about the similarities between "dreams" and the tea ceremony. First, like dreams, the tea ceremony values impermanence, which exists only in that moment. Each exchange of bowls in a tea room is a one-off experience, never to be repeated. The beauty of this impermanence resonates with the world of dreams. Second, the hope for the future that is borne through the tea ceremony. For example, when I see the younger generation studying the tea ceremony inheriting its spirit and spreading it in new forms, I feel as if I am catching a glimpse of the future in a dream.
What kind of "dreams" will be written about at this year's first poetry gathering? Dreams take on different forms depending on each individual's experiences and thoughts, but the joy of waka poetry lies in condensing them into short words. This is also where the tea ceremony and waka poetry have something in common. Just as the world embodied in a single bowl of tea changes in the mind of each poet, waka poetry also creates new stories in the hearts of those who write and those who read it.
The first poetry gathering is a valuable opportunity to face one's inner self while experiencing the depths of Japanese culture. This year, why not seek new inspiration by crossing the worlds of tea ceremony and waka poetry through the theme of "Dreams." In the silence woven by a single cup of tea, spending time listening to one's own dreams and hopes will surely enrich the soul.
As the new year arrives, why not give shape to your dreams while enjoying a quiet moment in a tea room? May this year be filled with hope and the spirit of tea ceremony.
