An Ode to the Summer Stars
So bright you are
glorious abundant stars shower, a downpour across the night sky
Antares, angry red, the brightest star of Scorpion
Forever the target to Saggitarious’ steady arrow
Indus, where might you be, as
the Swan flys gracefully over the flow of milky way
Deneb, a first star shining its tail on a long necked swan
Andromeda, still a cursed captive,
Corona Borealis, still awaiting its king to adorn the crown
star speckels, comets, namesless particles of dust, shine upon us
such is the boundless beauty
I no longer desire jewels on this earth as
I have seen your beauty in our galaxy and beyond
this universe
Noriko Ibaragi (translated by K. Tsuyama, summer 2024)
Category: Beautiful Places
June
Is there a beautiful village somewhere
where at the end of a day, dark foamy 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, foam up the air to its very brim
Is there beautiful people and people power somewhere
Power of connection and delight in together living this now, this present moment, this same generation
sharing our rage that sharpen 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 distant land and divergent culture … it’s a timeless. It’s timeless, that longing where we want to make a difference – we want to rebel – to be the changemaker for a better world while engulfed in anger. Rather than in gratitude for those who struggled to lead a path before us, we were furious. We were enraged. The poet was young. We were all young dreamers, whether drunk or sober.
That same longing is timeless.
And now I long to be back in that time…of earnest longings
to feel the strength of togetherness
when we felt that we had the power for a change.
Categories
The Neighborhood
I am going back to this space soon … Grateful for the freedom and for the understanding family who sees the value in taking care of another more vulnerable. One must advocate for the vulnerable, and be their voice if they are feeling powerless and lonely.
It is not called a sacrifice if one does not resent that effort. What kind of a mother for example regrets being there for her child. The care you give them today will return in multi-folds and besides, itsn’t it about giving or devoting your energies without expecting a return.
So it is the same with role reversals. Only this time there is no return other than that conscience wanting nothing more than life of no regrets.