June
Is there a beautiful village somewhere
where at the end of a day, dark stout beer
resting the hoe against a wall, resting the basket
men and women raise their large jock
Is there a beautiful town somewhere
streets lined with edibile berries continue forever smuding into a horizon of violet sunset skies
Gentle sounds of crowds of young people milling around, fill up the air to its very brim
Is there beautiful people and people power somewhere
Power of connection and humor in together living this now, this same generation
sharing our rage that take shape into furious power
Noriko Ibaragi
translated by K. Tsuyama, June 2024 in California:)
This poem by Noriko Ibaragi was first published June 21, 1956 on Asahi newspaper in Japan. She had just turned 30 that same month. I can sense her longings even though its generations ago in another land and culture … it’s a timeless feeling of longing where we want to make a difference – to be the changemaker for a better world while engulfed in anger rather than gratitude for those who struggled to lead a path before us. The poet was young. We were all young dreamers, drunk and sober.
That same longing is timeless.
And now I long to be back in that time…of earnest longings.
