Today's poem
After the workshop where I met the Quaker, I soon told about
the religion to my Japanese friend coming back from Emerson College (UK) with excitement.
She explained the Shakers as well as Quakers, in particular, with the Shakers’
furniture. At that time, my interest was focused into Mark Doty's poems and found the poem.
Although the place is far from here, the room in the poem allows me to imagine a zen garden ( http://www.ryoanji.jp/smph/eng/garden/making.html ) or a Japanese tea room ( https://www.artstation.com/artwork/PvonZ ). For me, Ann Lee calls up Nao Deguchi as the foundress of the religion Oomoto developed from Shinto for spirit possession ( http://www.oomoto.or.jp/English/enKyos/kaiso-en.html ). And I can see Eden garden from the poem and experience intimacy with the sacred. Holiness filled with stillness. The world is in "Eternity in an hour" of Auguries of Innocence by William Blake.
Although the place is far from here, the room in the poem allows me to imagine a zen garden ( http://www.ryoanji.jp/smph/eng/garden/making.html ) or a Japanese tea room ( https://www.artstation.com/artwork/PvonZ ). For me, Ann Lee calls up Nao Deguchi as the foundress of the religion Oomoto developed from Shinto for spirit possession ( http://www.oomoto.or.jp/English/enKyos/kaiso-en.html ). And I can see Eden garden from the poem and experience intimacy with the sacred. Holiness filled with stillness. The world is in "Eternity in an hour" of Auguries of Innocence by William Blake.
Shaker Orchard by Mark Doty
Holding even flowers subject
to the principle of use,
the Shakers invented
to the principle of use,
the Shakers invented
the notion of packaged seeds
and a steam-powered
distiller for rosewater.
and a steam-powered
distiller for rosewater.
They uncluttered rooms
till space filled
with Universal Light—
with Universal Light—
white walls, a chest, a chair
hung on pegs beside a broom
so perfect in its simplicity
hung on pegs beside a broom
so perfect in its simplicity
as to become a pure channel:
there was nothing in those lines
to impede the flow
there was nothing in those lines
to impede the flow
of the divine, no ornament
to distract the mind from Love.
Work, Ann Lee said, as though
to distract the mind from Love.
Work, Ann Lee said, as though
you had a thousand years to live;
thus the tiny stitches
in a sister’s cotton cap, the exact lid
thus the tiny stitches
in a sister’s cotton cap, the exact lid
of a pine box. Pestered
by holy doves delivering
gifts—exotic telegrams of fruit,
by holy doves delivering
gifts—exotic telegrams of fruit,
flower and verse—Mother Ann danced
to come to terms with the demands
of angels. In one print
to come to terms with the demands
of angels. In one print
the brothers and sisters
in their separate portions of the room
thunder on the polished floorboards.
in their separate portions of the room
thunder on the polished floorboards.
They swept clean. Clear
the excess, they knew,
and light will pour in
the excess, they knew,
and light will pour in
as in certain American landscapes
where light itself occupies space,
whole regions of luminosity.
where light itself occupies space,
whole regions of luminosity.
Seeing the turn of things
and unwilling to propagate,
they were swept away.
and unwilling to propagate,
they were swept away.
The last,
four elderly sisters,
live at Sabbathday Lake;
four elderly sisters,
live at Sabbathday Lake;
the brothers are twenty years gone.
In October their grapes yield,
suspended from the arbor
In October their grapes yield,
suspended from the arbor
as if to recall a paradise of ease
where we had only to look upward
to be fed, and the apple trees
where we had only to look upward
to be fed, and the apple trees
hold out their thousands of small victories,
having managed both to contain light
and to bear.
(Photo: "Domains" by IkkÅ Narahara)
https://bit.ly/2kE2XKT
having managed both to contain light
and to bear.