She and the Grim Reaper
by Takagi tomoyama
When she goes out
A dog jumps out from the void
If she comes home
A cat will run out from the corner
Such miracles
Are merely observed by the Grim Reaper
The Grim Reaper is so attached to her
He never lets any of her loneliness slip by
In Japan, fireworks may hold a new recognition. The annual fireworks festivals are etched into the childhoods of many, blending into their growth and encompassing memories of time spent with family and friends.
Therefore, for Japanese people, fireworks might be something too familiar and too everyday. As a result, when the word “fireworks” appears in Englilsh poem, it might be difficult for it to leave a special impression.
I would like to recommend a very short English poem:
No Explosions
by Naomi Shihab NyeTo enjoy
fireworks
you would have
to have lived
a different kind
of life
The author is American but of Palestinian descent. Whether this poem is written from the perspective of a child in Gaza or a dialogue with a child in Gaza is unclear, but in any case, the “fireworks” depicted in the poem refer to a different scene. They are the trajectories and explosions of rockets and interceptor missiles. This is outside the range of everyday experiences for Japanese people.
No explosions. There are fireworks.