Poem: "lacquerware"
This poem came out of the April 3, 2012 Poetry Fishbowl. It was inspired by siliconshaman who wanted Edopunk. I hunted around in the Edo period and its technology, eventually turning up some interesting tidbits about lacquer. The poem has been sponsored by laffingkat.
lacquerware
an accident in
the chemistry of lacquer
would change everything
urushi lacquer
is quite sensitive to light,
easily damaged
how short a step from
"damage" to "a photoprint"
that was the first change
Edo artisans
developed technology
based upon layers
they traced circuitry
with singular strands of silk
pressed between lacquer
chemical changes --
static electricity
no longer stayed put
they wrote whole programs
with silk and water and char
layered into chips
the first computers
resembled tea bowls and trays:
polished perfection
their meticulous
nature became as famous
as their courtesy