Returning to innocence 子供に還る

3.3 3,3

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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Mom loves knitting. 着せ替えたぬき?

3.2 3,2

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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It is already March, but… もう3月なんですけどね

3.1 sr JC

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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People’s lives 人生って?

Ms. S

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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♫ Grandpa’s gonna take me to… ♫ 動物園

2-28 2.28 Baku

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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Very good haiku! 詠んだ人偉いよね

1.28 1,18

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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Peaceful New Year days 今年のお正月

1.21 121 1,21

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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First snowfall of the season 初雪の朝

120 1.20 111

This morning I woke up to find first snowfall this winter. Because of my poor health in my childhood, my mother would make a snow rabbit for me when I was absent from school with cold, which often happened in winter. I decided to reverse roles now and make one for her, but unfortunately I am too clumsy. She tried to make another try later. However, my old mother seems to have lost dexterity in a hand.

 

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今朝起きると初雪が積もっていました。子供の頃病弱で、冬によく風邪で学校を休んだ私のために、母が雪うさぎを作ってくれました。今、役割を交替しようとしましたが、不器用なのでうまく出来ませんでした。後で母がやり直しましたが、年取った母は同じように不器用です。

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Rainbow-sign of good fortune? 冬の虹

1141 1142 1.14

Actually, I saw this rainbow the photo shows about three weeks ago, when I went out of the nearby grocery store after a hectic shopping for preparation for the New Year. I surely took this photo hoping for many good fortunes in the coming year, however, I had so many chores afterward.

Moderately damp stubs/

Oh, winter rainbow!/

Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko

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実はこの虹を見たのは3週間ぐらい前のことで、近所のスーパーで大慌てのお正月の買い物を済ませて外に出たときでした。新年にいいことが続けばいいなと思って撮っていたのですが、何かと雑用の多い毎日で・・・。

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Special practice session 特別稽古日でした

12...

Since a young friend of mine with a little interest in calligraphy came to our place, my mother, the visitor and I practiced together. I am sorry for my friend because my mother and I sort of forced her to help my mother kill great amount of free time.

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書に興味のある若い知り合いが来てくれたので、一緒にちょっとお稽古しました。母の暇つぶしに付き合ってもらったようなものなので、申し訳なかったかも知れませんが。

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