Two Books of my Poetry

下関(しものせき)の鯨(くじら)

私(わたし)は下関(しものせき)の鯨(くじら)
今(いま)は丘(おか)の上(うえ)にいるが
昔(むかし)はよく関門(かんもん)海峡(かいきょう)を
行(い)ったり来(き)たりしたもんじゃ

私(わたし)が泳(およ)ぐと
外(がい)国(こく)の大(おお)きな船(ふね)でさえも
嵐(あらし)のように揺(ゆ)られ
のんびり浮(う)かんではいられなかった
慌(あわ)てふためく様(さま)を見(み)るのは
とても楽(たの)しいものじゃった

今(いま)は　毎(まい)日(にち)　落(お)ちる夕(ゆう)日(ひ)を丘(おか)から眺(なが)め
灯(とも)るポチポチとした
街(まち)の明(あ)かりを見(み)ながら
日(に)本(ほん)も平(へい)和(わ)になったものだ
と、思(おも)うばかりじゃ
２００２.１２.２２

猫(ねこ)の独(ひと)り言(ごと)

にこは猫(ねこ)
猫(ねこ)は猫(ねこ)なりに時(とき)を過(す)ごす
英(えい)語(ご)のレッスンに行(い)ったり
日(に)本(ほん)語(ご)のレッスンに行(い)ったり
掃(そう)除(じ)をしたり
洗濯(せんたく)をしたり
買(か)い物(もの)をしたり
遊(あそ)んだり

今年(ことし)はあっという間(ま)だったニャー
と満(まん)足(ぞく)気(げ)に笑(え)みを漏(も)らし

いくら波(は)乱(らん)万(ばん)丈(じょう)でも
最(さい)後(ご)に良(よ)かった
幸(しあわ)せだと思(おも)えることが大(たい)切(せつ)なのだ
来(らい)年(ねん)も良(よ)い年(とし)になるといいニャー
と独(ひと)り言(ごと)を言(い)った
２００８.１２.２０

A Whale in Shimonoseki

I am a whale in Shimonoseki.
Though I am on a hill now,
I often used to swim around the Kanmon Strait.
When I swam
Even foreign ships were rocked,
As if a storm had come,
And they could not float leisurely.
I would really enjoy watching those who were very upset.
Now I view the setting sun everyday.
I am just thinking that Japan became peaceful,
Looking at the lights,
Which are like speckles in the town.

22 December 2002

A Cat’s Soliloquy

Niko is a cat.
This cat spends her time living at her own pace.
She goes to English lessons and Japanese lessons,
She cleans her house,
She washes her clothes,
She goes shopping and plays…
She smiles with satisfaction, saying:
“This year has passed very quickly, nyaa.”
And she also whispered:
“It’s very important for us
To have such an ending that
We can feel happy about
However checkered our life may be.
I hope that we will be happy next year
As well, nyaa.”

20 December 2008

Available at: International Books, 18 South Frederick Street,Dublin 2; Forbidden Planet International, Dublin, 5-7 Crampton Quay, Temple Bar, Dublin 2.

A Cat's Soliloquy -Learning Japanese through poetry- (€18) and A Cat's Microcosm -Learning Japanese through fairly tales-(€24).