The loneliness of the tea scoop: the untold memory of bamboo
The loneliness of the tea scoop: the untold memory of bamboo
A tea scoop is a strange tool.
Thin, light, and speechless.
However, their existence is certainly necessary in the tea ceremony.
I sometimes think about tea scoops.
It is to scoop matcha from the tea caddy without anyone noticing,
It is simply placed gently on the edge of a tea bowl.
No sound, no assertion, just there.
There is loneliness in the tea scoop.
It's not the loneliness of being abandoned by someone,
It's a quiet loneliness that no one can touch.
It's like an old dictionary left in the corner of a library late at night.
One day, I saw a bamboo tea scoop at a tea ceremony.
There are small knots on the surface,
The light gave it a slight bluish tint.
The husband called it "Moonlight."
I liked the name.
The tea scoop is carved from bamboo.
Each piece is hand-carved and bent by fire by a craftsman.
Bring life to the form.
But no one talks about that life.
Sometimes I talk to the tea scoop.
"Aren't you lonely?"
The tea scoop doesn't reply.
It's just there.
The loneliness of the tea scoop is a little similar to my own loneliness.
Although you are needed by someone,
The necessity of this is beyond words.
It's similar to a jazz bass line,
It's similar to the background sounds in old movies.
When the tea scoop is placed on the edge of the tea bowl,
It makes a small "thud" sound.
The sound was like someone sighing in the distance.
Every time I hear that sound,
The loneliness of the tea scoop seeps into me a little.
It's a quiet resonance.
The loneliness of the tea scoop is beyond words.
But it's definitely there.
It's something I can't yet put into words.
*This article is an essay based on personal experiences and impressions of the tea ceremony and Japanese culture. Please note that it may differ from historical, religious, or sectarian interpretations.