Although I never intend to put in a good word about it (in fact, the store worker had a terrible attitude), my mother and I happened to buy sandwiches at a nearby shop of a famous coffeehouse chain and had them on the river bank of the Takano River (in Japanese) enjoying the cherry blossoms which were only early stage of blooming then.

Taking a walk

With one flower petal/

As a gift/

Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko

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別に宣伝したい訳ではありませんが（実際、店員の態度が悪かったし）、近くにある有名なコーヒーのチェーン店でサンドイッチを買って、高野川べりで母とお花見をしながらいただきました。そのときには、まだせいぜい三分咲きでしたが。

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I often hear one goes back to their childhood as growing in age.

Mother is making merry/

In her re-gained/

Childhood/

Oh, sunlight/

Flipped by suncatchers/

__ Tomoko

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年を取ると子供に還る、とはよく聞きますが。

幼子に

還った母が

はしゃいでる

サンキャッチャーが

弾く

太陽（ひかり）よ

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Actually, I kept wondering how my mother has been spending time at the day-care facility and at last, I found out she completed knitting a scarf for the raccoon dog figure of Shigaraki ware at the entrance.

Has acquired a little bit of boldness/

Since beginning to wear a/

Red scarf/

Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko

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実際のところ、母はデイサービスにお邪魔して何をしているのだろうと思っていたら、玄関先の信楽焼のたぬきのマフラーを編んでいたそうです。

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I bought a couple of Japanese sweets for my mother and myself named “rabbit”.

The snow rabbit made by my old mother who has become quite clumsy doesn’t pale so much.

O, month of February/

Beautiful is/

Japanese confectionery/

Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko

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母と二人でいただくのに「うさぎ」の名を持つ和菓子を買ってきました。

年を取って不器用になった母の作った雪うさぎもそんなに見劣りしません。

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Following is a quotation from an e-mail message from a social worker I really trust.

“How people come into the world, struggle to live, grow old and pass away is not something smooth.

That is exactly the reason I would never want to miss the short-lived glow.”

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信頼しているソーシャルワーカーさんからのメールの一節を書きました。

「人が生まれて生きて老いていなくなっていく様は綺麗に流れるものではない

だからこその一瞬の輝きを見逃さないでいたい」

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My mother and I went to the zoo today.

At first she wasn’t quite happy about the idea but I have a fond memory about the zoo where my grandfather often took me when I was a little child.　He loved me dearly because I was his first lineal grandchild.

My mother with her mental disorder has become interestingly undefended and recently we have truth talks from time to time.　Before that, she seldom talked about my grandfather who passed away more than fifty years ago, but these days she often says she liked him for his kindheartedness.

However, the zoo looked much different from the one in my memory, as its refurbishing was just completed last year.

Looking for a cage of Baku/

Spring afternoon in the/

Zoo/

Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko

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今日は母と動物園に行ってきました。

母ははじめ少し嫌がっていましたが、動物園は私にとって懐かしい場所なので。幼かった頃、初孫で内孫の私を可愛がってくれた祖父がしょっちゅう連れて行ってくれたからです。

精神を病んで、その代わり、上手い具合に心のタガの外れた母とはこのところよく本音トークをします。以前は、５０年以上前に亡くなった祖父の話などあまりしなかった母は、この頃はよく心優しかった祖父が好きだったと言います。

けれども、昨年改装が完成し、美しく生まれ変わった動物園は、以前とはずいぶんと様子が変わっていました。

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I kept trying to take my mother in wheel chair for a walk twice a day if at all possible since early fall last year.　And while walking, we have seen these pyracantha fruits many times.　Even now, we see these red fruits many times in many places.

This haiku is very well formulated, I thought, with this accurate expression, “malice”.

When looked at directly/

Pyracantha fruits/

Malice with a capital/

Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko

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昨年初秋から、出来るだけ１日２回母を車椅子散歩に連れ出していますが、このピラカンサの赤い実をよく見かけますし、ずっと見かけます。

「悪意」って的確だなと思った訳です。

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This year started with warm, sunny, windless and peaceful days.　My mother in wheel chair and I enjoyed walking along the Takano River near our place many times.　The flowing water twinkled and the floral buds on the cherry trees along the river looked already began growing.

Mother said it was her first time to enjoy such a peaceful, beautiful New Year days and that it would be her last time.　You will never know what would become of us in the future, but….

Spent a peaceful, warm New Year/

With mother who is/

Back in her childhood at heart/

Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko

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今年の初めの数日間は本当に好天に恵まれ、風もなく暖かないいお正月でした。車椅子の母と家の近くの高野川べりを何度も散歩しました。川の流れはキラキラと美しかったですし、桜並木の芽は早くも膨らんできているのが見て取れました。

母は「こんないいお正月は初めてだし、もう無いだろう」というようなことを言いました。確かに、先の事は分からないのですけれど・・・。

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