Listening Through Water / Speaking with Flame
by Sayuri Matsuura AyersGrandmotherお婆さん
Can you hear me?聞こえますか。
The white shoji walls that separate us
are slick with monsoon waters
pale membrane thinning
私の心 My heart
私はここにいます I am here
My lips are thick with thirst
My throat caves on rounded kanji
the stones foreign in my mouth
I am
a child without meaning
a child without a home
Am I私は
Shame?恥ずかしいのでしょうか?
Am I私は
the rootless flower?根のない花ですか?
Am I私は
Outsider?外人でしょうか?
Hush Child
Listen
Do not grieve
With my handsI draw meaning from
formless mudRejoice for my land growslush with fire See I bear
branches blazing with kakifruit that I eased from Wakayama’s wombNow take into your
mouth sweet furythough your lips blazemolars hiss and splitWith your tongue
forge from ancient ore a gleaming songyouthe implementof creation
of destructionTake your seatat my right hand
Speak and it will be done
O World 聞こえますか。
私は ardor 私は the flame seizing your throat 私は
心 Within me there is no 外人 I contain within myself burning
花 私は 私は 私は ここにいます
