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(

 

WATER  Poem by Hideo Yokokawa
from the PBS TV program "Phyllis Hoge  - POETRY"
.

Reading by Phyllis Hoge 
Reading  2'-35" )

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 




Water

Poem by Hideo Yokokawa
for Phyllis Hoge Thompson and her friends

 

       1
Phyllis, would you mind coming and sitting down over here?
It'll be nice to see neon tetras living in the glass vase on
the sideboard in the next room. It is the best view in the
space of this house. In the water and out of the water,
this there and that here, both living.

Standing next to the chair where Phyllis is sitting, Nick says,
"Yes, the fish look enlarged and twisted"
I laugh lightly, and
The three of us laugh each laughing similarly.

       2
After visiting five Rinzai temples by sightseeing bus in Kyoto.
Are you tired?
No.
Okay, then, we will visit Kiyomizu by taxi tonight, I heard the
temple was very beautiful by the lights at night.
Is it so? Okay.

After supper, leaving Phyllis in the hotel alone,
I went outside to enjoy drinking, getting relaxed. And then,
In the taxi, I sang White Christmas in a loud voice all the way.
We left the car in the parking space below the temple,
While the taxi driver followed,
Mutually we repeated frequently Wonderful. So nice. Beautiful.
Sometime I hummed the song "over the rich field of Ishikari,
wild geese fly ....."

Coming down from the stage to the pond at the right side,
All of a sudden, the water surface shining in gold, silver, green, red.
Upside down. Inside out!
Shouted I!
Phyllis stopped, unmoving, gazing at the too beautiful water surface.

       3
We went to Nara the next day.
In front of the Daibutsu temple,
I took a picture with borrowed camera
Of the water surface of the pond mirroring the autumnal tints of trees -
Only One picture I took during the trip.

       4
Memories
Remain.

       5
We will disappear
Calmly
With dignity.



 

 

 

 

POETRY pLAZA