Poems by Akira
KATSUOJI TEMPLE
Walk with me, my friend
And let us see
If Osaka still has traces
Of the air she breathed
Thirty years ago
I remember that she walked on that noisy street with her friends
To visit Katsuoji Temple
She laughed and caught my eye
The street fell silent for that second
And I froze and died
I ran inside
There was no one except a silent monk
With eyes closed, contemplating time
But someone had left some burning incense
The smoke drifted away from me
Which is why I ask, my friend
If you can walk the streets of Osaka with me
To see if there are traces
Of the air she breathed
Thirty years ago
And let us see
If Osaka still has traces
Of the air she breathed
Thirty years ago
I remember that she walked on that noisy street with her friends
To visit Katsuoji Temple
She laughed and caught my eye
The street fell silent for that second
And I froze and died
I ran inside
There was no one except a silent monk
With eyes closed, contemplating time
But someone had left some burning incense
The smoke drifted away from me
Which is why I ask, my friend
If you can walk the streets of Osaka with me
To see if there are traces
Of the air she breathed
Thirty years ago
On
the grave of her memory
And
soon, more sprung up
I
saw the birds sit close by, not touching
I
sat with my koto, some distance away
And
now
I
caress myself
With
the dust
Of
a thousand and one white lilies
Do
not hold my hand
Till
the dust has washed away
And
I no longer remember
------------------------------------------------
YOKAHAMA HARBOUR
When we sat on a bench at Yokohama Harbour
Speaking in silence
Look, I finally said
That ship, the one there
Do you think it is leaving for Singapore?
Shall we go too?
You did not respond then
The ship stopped, perhaps in hope
You looked away and so did I
For the salt we tasted
Was not of the sea breeze
But of the tears of hopelessness
The ship sighed and moved on
I touched the sleeve of your kimono
Slowly, very slowly, I felt nothing
I watched you become a cold ghost
Becoming mist, not responding
Today, I see in the paper
That the Emperor has called for volunteers
For the war in the Philippines
I have already lost
But I shall go.
KINKAKUJI TEMPLE
The trees dipped and the sunlight moved slowly
The pebbles froze as your feet touched them
The morning fog stayed on
Perhaps you knew I was watching
You moved your kimono just a little
Saying No.
I wrote a haiku on the silent pebbles
Of Kinkakuji Temple
Blue slivers of sky
A pale face etched in the clouds
A heart breaks quietly
I walked away to Kyoto
Your image in the shrine
In the temple within me
In the morning, when no one sees
The white lily blooms very slowly
And the Swans hide in shame; their beauty
Is nothing
I play the koto and the Lily listens
The white becomes pink, the blush of knowing
How beautiful she is
But soon the sun climbs down
The air is tired and the koto
It falters
An eagle watches coldly as it soars
Soon it knows, this pulchritude will fade
And it shall feast
On the dreams of a soul in agony
White is white, you thought
The koto reduces to dust
The Lily droops
The petals break away
MITO-SAN
She give me silent words and eyes looking down
We give the information to each other
Of the love
No, this is not Kabuki
It is the real information
Of Love
In Osaka
Many years ago.
DESTINY
I
do not care to be told
That this is destiny.
And you must go.
We walked in the streets of Hiroshima that day
And saw nothing,
But you did not cry for the thousands.
The smoke hung close to the ground
Collecting memories of lovers.
I took you to your house
But it was gone.
You did not cry then.
But I did.
For people I had never met.
But now when we must part
You cry and I watch
While you use logic to explain
That this is best.
That the throbbing pain of two
Is more than the torment
Of those who evaporated
In Hiroshima.
I do not care to be told
That this is destiny.
And you must go.
That this is destiny.
And you must go.
We walked in the streets of Hiroshima that day
And saw nothing,
But you did not cry for the thousands.
The smoke hung close to the ground
Collecting memories of lovers.
I took you to your house
But it was gone.
You did not cry then.
But I did.
For people I had never met.
But now when we must part
You cry and I watch
While you use logic to explain
That this is best.
That the throbbing pain of two
Is more than the torment
Of those who evaporated
In Hiroshima.
I do not care to be told
That this is destiny.
And you must go.
Mocha
Jimmy
