This is no “fancy” restaurant at all, but I was happy to chat with one of my good old friends who had been hospitalized for a considerable period because of a serious injury. The truth is, however, she still has pain in the leg. Despite this, I heard she resumed practicing ping-pong, her greatest pastime. And I admire her positivity.
Cicadas are out (and noisy)/
My friend is also out of the hospital/
We celebrated with red wine/
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As a little, humble present for the temple we follow and support, I asked my mother to write one letter on a paper fan, a hiragana (Japanese syllabary character). The letter is the first one of the temple’s name. As my mother turned 91 years old last month and is rapidly forgetting various things, I showed her what to write.
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Looking after an old parent is no easy task, even if you are dealing with your own mother.
According to the old lunar calendar, today marks the first day of autumn.
Unleashing love-hate/
To mom/
Autumn begins/
Translation and calligraphy by Chio
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This was the task for today’s practice session.
It is a large-scale poem from the ancient Japan with motifs of sky, star, moon and cloud…
When remaking on my work, our teacher said to me something like, “If the ink goes blur, let it blur to the end.” In other words, I was too timid and impatient.
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Holding a brush
Young children, elderly people, ailing people…practically anyone can hold a brush and write. I am sure this is the wisdom of the Orient.
A longtime good friend of mine from high school days took the photo for me to post on my “shops” on eBay and Etsy.
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They say cicadas begin shrilling right after the rainy season is over. How true that is! And it makes you realize summer is about to reach its peak.
First shrilling of the cicadas of the year’s summer/
I wish that/
Wishing pays off/
Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko
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As my first calligraphy teacher (秋山公道the late Mr. Akiyama Kodo) and my mother were both born in the year of dragon, I like visiting shrines associated with dragons.
Yesterday, I went to Shinsenen Shrine. It was a beautiful place full of agreeable atmosphere. I felt pleasant breeze blowing but unfortunately, I didn’t feel existence of dragons around, which some people with supernatural power may feel.
The photo shows my work of the letter 龍or dragon and a passage on the written oracle I got there.
Just outside your eaves/
It maybe storming/
But/
Inside your house/
Is springlike warmth/
Translation by Tomoko
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My first teacher (秋山公道the late Mr. Akiyama Kodo) was almost 60 years old when I started going to his school at age six.
When he got very sick and was hospitalized for the first time, I was really surprised and shocked simply because that was a rare happening in my life then.
I went to his hospital room with a towel hanger in the shape of a hippo face with a big mouth as a get-well present.
Apparently, he was inspired by my childish gift, he wrote this haiku and made it into a piece of calligraphy work and later, he gave this framed work to me.
Towel hanger/
Making a clattering sound/
In the sweaty hospital room/
Translation by Tomoko
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Today is my mother’s 91stbirthday. She hasn’t been very well for some time. But now she seems to be recovering her health. It is thanks, I think, to all the well-wishes and help from the people around her.
Even the rainy season feels nice and sweet/
When I cook the millet seeds/
My dear friend sent us for her/
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This is what I want to convey to myself in childhood blessed with great love from her parents, in very young days and in the bloom of her youth. For, they don’t know how respected and pretty I am at present.
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