triveni spotlight A FEATURE EVERY ALTERNATE DAY! hosts: Teji Sethi and Kala Ramesh GUEST EDITOR: John Stevenson
noh play—
watching the throat
behind the mask
Hilary Tann Upstate Dim Sum, 2004/1
This month is going to be a treat for our members. _()_ Thank you so much, John.
There is a spelling mistake. It's not troat but throat:
noh play—
watching the throat
behind the mask
Hilary Tann
Upstate Dim Sum, 2004/1
We lost this amazing Welsh-American poet just last month:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hilary_Tann
Amazing haikai verse. Just the last two lines, we could watch someone's throat as we all wear masks out in public spaces.
The first line lets us know instantly that the author (and friends) are at a Noh play, famous in Japan and elsewhere, where performers have ornate masks. Of course the irony is that the audience may be wearing metaphorical masks during the performance, and again for social drinks after perhaps.
noh play—
watching the throat
behind the mask
Hilary Tann
It doesn't get much better than this. . . Tann is one of my favorite haikai poets.
---Billie