Here is some more bamboo information from Geert Verbeke.

BAMBOO



a beautiful day

bamboo, plum and cherry gently glow in the sunlight

a bell is ringing in the empty sky

reflections in a lake

a holy man cut down a swishing bamboo

the revered plant -at once- transforms into a dragon

which fly the man to the moon

why?

no one knows¡Ä





bamboo + plum tree + pine = a long life

bamboo + sparrow + snow = friendship

bamboo + crane + turtle = a long life

anonymous





Bamboo:

Bamboo is a revered plant, depicts summer and is the most painted subject
in the Orient. Bamboo, pine and plum tree are the three friends of the
Winter. Bamboo is associated with the moon, and the moon with a dragon¡Ä
Bamboo represents strength and the virtues of the male, reflecting a sense
of perfect balance with upright integrity and tremendous flexibility. Bamboo
is a long lived and evergreen beautiful plant, world-wide a source of
inspiration for many artists. This grass family (Gramineae) is originating
from tropical and subtropical regions, most abundant in the monsoon area of
East Asia. Bamboo can reach 30 m high and 30 cm diameter. The center of the
bamboo plant is hollow, suggesting humility. The bamboo plant bears no
flower or fruit which are considered temporary make-up. Due to its unique
structure and qualities, not found elsewhere in the plant kingdom, the
bamboo culm is suited for a multitude of applications, with many admirable
qualities.



Bamboo is always been used for many wonderful purposes:



Food: bamboo shoots;

Houses: roofs, traps, walls, mats, furniture, trellis, fences, poles,
split bamboo floors;

bridge construction;

Irrigation systems: with as heart a water wheel constructed almost
entirely of various bamboo species. This fast growing, renewable building
material offers unparalleled strength and a graceful form, not only for
supporting plants but also for creating decorative structures. Bamboo is a
source of countless useful products:

artwork: pencils, frames. Bamboo as a profound influence on local legends,
writers, painters and musicians. The bamboo is thought of as the Father of
brush painting (Sumi-e), representing simplicity of life and a humble
spirit;

Containers and vessels: for the storage or transport of water;

Weapons: kendo bamboo swords;

Knifes: used to cut the umbilical cord at birth and employed during burial
ceremonies. In the lifes of the indigenous peoples of Asia bamboo is present
from cradle to grave. Bamboo is also employed in many traditional ceremonies
and may be used as medicine or charm. anglers; music instruments;

Lucky bamboo sticks: feng shui.

Flutes: Bamboo flutes are considered one of the best Feng Shui cures
available.



autumnal drawing

bamboo in a few lines

fog in the garden



pen drawing

with Indian ink

bamboo shoots



rattling hailstones

on the bamboo-covered well

winter checks in



shakuhachi

and wandering monks

a murmuring stream



bamboo

in an ocean of raindrops

stillness



uprighted

in a bamboo cylinder

her brushes



black bamboo

rustling during gusts of wind

neglected by owls



stems of bamboo

a far and near rustling

the finches



nesting of cranes

a shakuhachi sings hoarse

bamboo bows



new canes

in various shades

from green to mustard



swishing bamboo

in a forest canopy

cool mist



the leaves

pull the canes downward

a graceful arc



a smooth stalk

with brilliant sounds

five fingerholes



fleeting shadows

in a fountain of leafes

one single bamboo




a shaddy spot

under a bamboo parasol

single malt whiskey



dreaming

the day away

bamboo rustles



a grain of sand

is the whole beach

bamboo is the sky



footwear of bamboo

clattering in the morning

monks in the temple



a bamboo master

priest of nothingness

the shakuhachi



meditative tool

woodwind instrument

a flute by night



made from the bottom

of a wonderful bamboo

my emotion



hollow bamboo

with the penetrating voice

I love your nodes



four fingerholes

and a thumbhole on the back

the wind blows



breathing

a blowing angle for changes

timeless sounds



tufts of bamboo

moving on the wind

charcoal drawing



synchopated flutes

in the foggy bamboo fields

just before dawn



meditation

hear ancient melodies

a shakuhachi









bansuri flute

touch my inner voice
worthless



the echo

from a distant bamboo flute

memories


the voice

of a monk

flute music



painted

in one breath

the bamboo



bamboo cart

an old draught horse

stroked with a stick



beating

with bamboo sticks

a dharma battle



mending the temple

with beams of bamboo

buddha smiles



black ink

on white paper

bamboo pencils




one-stroke painting

a wall-facing priest

framed in bamboo




driven by water

in perpetual rotation

the bamboo wheel



unnoted

between the bamboo

fishing for perch



stir the tea

with a bamboo whisk

sip with caution



bamboo sax

broken silence

tea time




old temple roof

and moss-covered bamboo

charcoal sketch



five fingerholes

tribute to the rain

a simple tune



moss-covered

the rocks at a distance

breathless hush



under

a dwarf bamboo

the kittens



beside the teahouse

a bamboo pipe is singing

water music



incense smoulders

on the bamboo cupboard

rarefied shadows




flush bamboo pipe

a thin trickle of water

the dog sniff¡Çs



a pink petal

on a wet stepping-stone

bamboo garden



in the twilight

over hill and dale

the rampant growth



waving

behind the hedge

bamboo beanpoles



rustling

bamboo twigs

a fresh breeze



thin stems

rise high above the trees

soft singing bars



bamboo shrubs

in a gust of wind

murmuring



silent gardeners

sitting on bamboo mats

a mourning meal



gentle morning dew

bamboo as conundrums

living forever



autumn leafage

and bundles of branches

cut down bamboo



shriveled plants

frozen buds of bamboo

turtledoves coo



rainy squall

droplets flowing down

bamboo shutters



the bamboo of spring

once seen by moonlight

memory lingers on



waterdripper

inkstone in a bamboo box

writers block






Glossary:



Bansuri flute: the bansuri (bans [bamboo] + swar [a musical note]) is
among the most ancient musical instruments of India. The favorite instrument
of shepherds and folk musicians.



Bonsai: the art of dwarfing trees, saw cultivation by the Japanese for
many centuries. Requiring many years of devoted attention and care to
produce, the bonsai extends beauty and expresses the significance of life.



Daruma: unable to keep his eyes open during a long meditation at the
Shaolin temple, master Daruma is said to have ripped of his eyelids in a
fit of anger; tea plants sprang spontaneously from the ground where his
eylids fell, thus beginning the custom in monasteries of drinking tea to
prevent drowsiness.



Haiku: a haiku is not just a small poem in three lines of 5-7-5 syllables
each. A haiku can be any length from a few to 17 syllables. What
distinguishes a modern haiku is a modest open mind with a sense of humour,
awareness, perception and concision. The haiku is Zen-inspired and remains
an art of expressing much and suggesting more in the fewest possible words.



Japanese paper lanterns or Chochin: first used in the Muromachi Period
(14th through 16th centuries), using a method called 'ipponkake-shiki':
individual pieces of bamboo connected in a circle to serve as a frame.



Nodes: are the raised rings that are visible on the outside of the bamboo
plant.



Shakuhachi: a vertically-held bamboo flute, made from the very bottom of a
bamboo tree. The word itself refers to the standard length of the instrument
according to the metrical units formerly in use in Japan, i.e. one 'Shaku'
and eight (hachi) sun, or 54.5 centimeters. There are, however, several
instruments both shorter and longer than this. They posses all five
fingerholes, four on top and one below.



Sumi-e: Japanese brush and black ink painting, on white paper. Simplicity
and elegance are the most outstanding characteristics of this art. An
economy of brush strokes are used to communicate the essence of the subject.
Sumi-e, in many ways, is similar to haiku. A few deft strokes convey a rich
pattern and organization.



Wagasa bamboo umbrella: The production of Japanese bamboo umbrellas
'wagasa', begun with the vermilion-lacquered umbrellas of the Muromachi
Period (14th through 16th centuries.) Used to provide shade for Shinto and
Buddhist, religious events and for the Japanese tea ceremony.






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IN JAPAN:
http://home.alc.co.jp/db/owa/ph_diary
http://happyhaiku.blogspot.com/2004/01/friends-geert-verbeke.html
SIMPLY HAIKU:
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............................

the sound of iced snow
dripping
in the bamboo grove


http://tinyurl.com/7y5hd

Long

http://happyhaiku.blogspot.com/2005/03/bamboo.html

Enjoy my Japan !
Gabi san


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