Planet of Water

Planet of Water

By Noriko Ibaragi, poet

In the pitch-dark universe,

a planet of water circles quietly.

There are no relatives around it.

It’s a lonely planet indeed.

Ever since I was born,

what astonished me most is

part of an image taken from outer space. 

It captures the Earth revolving without spilling a single drop of water.

Are we living in such a place?

We could have drawn a clear line between our consciousness and 

that of people from long ago who did not see this picture.

But everyone seems relatively indifferent.

The distance from the Sun is moderate. 

That’s why there is affluent, swirling water, I heard.

Although inside is a ball of fire.

It’s an impossible, strange, blue planet.

The memory of a horrendous flood remains,

and this may have led us to create the legend of Noah’s ark, I reckon. 

The ark was only for the chosen good ones, however.

When I see how their descendants have done, this legend seems quite suspect to me.

Without departing from its orbit, nor becoming a dead planet yet,

it holds fertile lives.

But this planet of water looks rather sad.

It’s understandable that a human, a tiny fraction of the Earth, is sad without knowing why.

That’s too obvious, so it may be better left unsaid.

As a human being #1

When World War II ended, poet Noriko Ibaragi was nineteen years old. She experienced hunger and fear during the air raids, and her sensitivity grew during this time of devastation and suppression. After she lost her beloved husband, she lived alone until the end of her life. She wrote poems by vividly blending everyday reality and past memories. Her words and expressions convey something neat, beautiful, and frail, but they also exhibit a strong self-assurance. I sometimes feel that her words shine light on the footsteps of unstable people, lead them, and encourage them to live with dignity. She was constantly underscoring the importance of “being yourself” and keeping your sensitivity.

As a human being #2

Emir Kusturica is one of my favorite filmmakers. He is from Sarajevo, formerly Yugoslavia. His country was broken up because of the Yugoslav Wars, and he also lost family members. His notable film, Underground, was made during a time of war in 1995. It masterfully depicts his lost home country and deeply digs into relationships among the people there, spanning 50 years. Recently, there is widespread talk that he was appointed as chief director of the Central Academic Theater of the Russian Army. I hope he heals his deep wounds and continues to be a filmmaker who sends messages of peace to people. I wish he could stop the invasion and bring peace.

For the nations

Article 9 of  the Japanese Constitution, quoted below, forbids any form of self-defense forces. 

"Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sovereign right of the nation and the threat or use of force as means of settling international disputes. In order to accomplish the aim of the preceding paragraph, land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential, will never be maintained. The right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized.”

We should maintain this approach.

For the Earth
In this March newsletter, I’d like to introduce scarves that represent “Planet of Water, Blue Earth.”

I hope you like them.