New Look: New Love? (Etheree, #1)

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E.A. Colquitt composes her first etheree – using the provided list of kigo words and phrases – for Tanka Tuesday’s 24 Seasons Syllabic Poetry Challenge, #35.

As a new season, Shōman (Fine Weather), begins, the poet reflects on Koromagae in the West: what would changing our seasonal wardrobes do for our confidence – our hopes and dreams?

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New Look: New Love? 

Out 
with the 
thick jumpers 
and fluffy socks. 
In with the shorts, the 
shades, the splat of sunscreen. 
He has no uniform - but, 
like Koromagae, he's changing 
out his clothes for the season. Summer 
is on its way - and so, he hopes, is she. 

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The above is my response to Tanka Tuesday‘s poetry challenge: 24 Seasons. Using the twenty-four Japanese seasons of poetry – including kigo – we’re writing syllabic poems every week for an entire year.

Challenge #35 is to engage with Shōman: Fine Weather (20th May – 5th June) by composing a poem of our choice, using at least one kigo word or phrase. I chose the (classic) etheree form, using the ‘In Our Lives’ phrase Koromagae: changing out the clothes for the season.

In Japan, Koromagae is a seasonal practice. Those in uniform – pupils, and some workers – change these clothes to something more suitable for the warmer summer temperatures.*

I love how Japanese culture has a word for everyday things like this. We don’t tend to give it that much thought, here in the West… but updating your wardrobe can also upgrade your confidence – a fresh start, of sorts.

Finally, all this talk of Japanese uniforms has brought up a random memory from Animal Crossing: Tom Nook being scandalised if you weren’t wearing the Cranny’s uniform while you had to work for him. Ah, those were the days!

Rules of Etheree**

Ten titled lines, with a syllable count of one through to ten:

• Classic: one verse of 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10.
• Reverse: one verse of 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1.
• Stacked/Double: two verses of 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1, to look like a (card-)diamond.
• Stacked/Double Inverted: two verses of 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9-10, to look like an hourglass.

Find a list of responses here, at the beginning of Challenge #36 🙂

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*Nippon Communications Foundation, ‘Shōman (Lesser Ripening)’, Nippon.com < https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/b09709/ > [last accessed: 28/5/2024].

**Colleen M. Chesebro, ’24 Forms’, Tanka Tuesday < https://tankatuesday.com/24-forms/ > [last accessed: 28/5/2024].

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Image by Tanka Tuesday