The BHS Spring Gathering took place in Conway Hall, London on Saturday, 18 May 2024. This was the first live BHS event since Covid, with 22 members in attendance on the day.
During the ‘Meet and greet’ with tea and coffee poets had the opportunity to see again old friends and welcome some new BHS members.
The main event was a ‘Tea and Kimono’ presentation by Krissi Prahova aka Sofuku. She learned to perform the tea ceremony (chanoyu) in Japan and upon completion of her training Krissi was given the name Sofuku (meaning ‘bearer of happiness’). After a short introduction, Sofuku showed a short Japanese film about tea followed by a tea ceremony. The BHS members were fascinated to observe the meditative act of preparing, presenting, and sipping matcha. Andrew Shimield and Allan Jarett took part as the guests in the ceremony and were served matcha tea and traditional biscuits. The tea ceremony was followed by a Kimono presentation and after that there was a very informative Q&A session in which Sofuku talked about the intricacies of the Japanese culture and traditions, and shared more about her life in Japan.
After lunch, the day continued with a lively workshop/sharing session. For the workshop participants were invited to share either haiku inspired by the tea & kimono presentation or previously written haiku/tanka about ‘tea’.
Here are some haiku/tanka shared by the participants:
tea ceremony landscape on the drinking bowl entering my mind Paul Hickey
little bowl facing a friend Chris Southam
tea ceremony out of the silence of the cup a thousand cranes autumn oceans & waves Tony Marcoff
steam rises from my teacup the day’s problems blurred Jenny Shepherd
her world in a spin her obi Robert Kingston
Green tea powder spooned in a bowl a lichened window Diana Webb
admiring her kimono I ask how long her sleeves are coyly she answers how long do you want Andrew Shimield
morning cuppa Gaza headlines leave a bitter taste Nick T
drinking nettle tea kneeling naked on her balcony sunrise across the city Howard Colyer
The elegant tea ceremony—I watch, sip my instant decaf Sarah Lawson
linden tea an unexpected hug from grandma Iliyana Stoyanova
tea in the park two girls make a TikTok video Erica Ison
Further reading recommended by Howard Colyer:
The Book of Tea (茶の本, Cha no Hon) – A Japanese Harmony of Art, Culture, and the Simple Life (1906) by Okakura Kakuzō
Zen in the Art of the Tea Ceremony (1983) by Horst Hammitzsch
