The Sun and Sunflower

In the early morning dew

where a girl

sitting on the bare earth

with no one else but her

she was so alone

she lowered her eyes every night

just like the night before

but only one man could

encourage her when he

came to her every morning 

he was wrapped

in a gray blanket

each night so

they could not meet

in the nocturnal hours

as the blanket had so many

tiny holes

in the new silence

some birds broke into song

and the blanket turned blue

and finally the cover faded away

and he showed his face

and brightened her smile

he always came

and showed her

his glaring face

at the start

of each new day 

and made her

happy every morning

he was sure

to come tomorrow too


         by Hikaru Higa

Memory with Grandpa

I remember

every Sunday

I visited Grandpa

old and gray

I remember

he lived

in a small white house

whose brightness

dazzled my eyes

where other

elderly people stayed

I remember

always taking walks

in a lovely garden 

nearby

with Grandpa 

where birds

in branches of trees

sang and  

butterflies fluttered

with wings like flower petals

I remember always

pushing his green wheelchair

and talking to him 

but he said 

nothing

but a smile

I can never see him again

can never push

his wheelchair

but

remember 

the days

spent with Grandpa


            by Hikaru Higa

The Real Friendship

here is a place for you and me a

special place for only us two where

we share a special bond that no one can see

they say that true friendship is rare

an adage I believe to be true

you are the best gift I have ever got

I am so lucky to have met you

when you're feeling blue I'll

be there for you when I'm

deeply hurt you'll be there for me

                  by Shion Takara

Best Friend

Eriko is funny
she is kind, cuddly
small like a bunny
so cute it makes you
go blind when I 
see her it is always
too sunny, I don't
see her a lot these days
but when we do meet
we plot, make future
plans roaming about town
in our mini-vans 


                        by Shion Takara

Nightmare | Mao Chinen

In the center of the black night

when the bone-white skeleton

suddenly appeared

in front of me

with no thumbs

he whispered

“Hello.”

and with a smile

like a devil in my ear

he slowly walked through

where a little child alone

in the dark lay

on a dreary city sidewalk

and I heard something

big and green chase

the child like a gloomy huge spider

seeking to catch its prey and suck

the life out of it

Memories | Mao Chinen

One Sunday morning

we were in the cozy little park

under some big twists

and turns in the trees

we played on the swing

rocking back and

forth like a pendulum

repeated endlessly

the yellow sun shined

on us when we looked

to our right

we could see

the blue-green ocean

and the waves coming

and going out

across the hot white sand

when we felt the fregrance

of the salt breeze

we don’t think anything

Autumn 2016  |  Mao Chinen

under the shade

of a stand

of big brown trees

the ground beneath

turned to yellow gold

and sunlight

disappeared earlier

as the air grew cold

dead leaves in the stairway

a girl wearing

a red wool sweater

came softly

without a sound

and tried

to hold them