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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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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(Even after memories of the scenes disappeared.)

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（エピソードがなくなっても）

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The glittering surface of the Takano River that has been so familiar since my childhood strikes me as something very new when viewed with my mother in a wheel chair.　In other words, it is a sequel of this.

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子供の頃から見慣れた風景ですが、車椅子の母と見ると、ちょっと新鮮かも知れません。これの続編のようなものです。

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I wasn’t thinking much when I pressed the shutter button, while walking with my mom in a wheel chair, however, the result, this photo pleased me.

Shower brightened up/

Waterfowl/

Whiter/

Translation and calligraphy by Tomoko

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母と車椅子散歩の散歩中にふと撮った写真が気に入りました。

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