What You Are, What You Eat...

Wandering back and forth between the dream and the reality, 
Lingering in the state between sleeping and waking
A car door opened and closed and I came back fully.


Flushed from the fever, sticky with sweat, 
Which shrouded my body.
The night of fever has broken.


Thirsty.
No water within my reach
I saw a bottle several feet away.
No energy to move.
I wondered how a squid would feel while being dried.


The doorbell rang.
It's MAMA!
She brought udon noodles.


Slurp. The squid re-hydrated.
Salty and steaming hot
I ate in silence.
MAMA was watching over me.


Strawberry, chilled in the fridge
A round strawberry
I thank the grower, I thank the distributor, it is delish.


The doorbell rang, again.
The housekeeper came
Thank you for laundering sheets.
Thank you for washing dishes.
Thank you for tidying up
Thank you for mopping the floor.


It's a busy day for the doorbell.
The doorbell rang.
Naoko joined me for lunch.
Tablemates boost my appetite.
Cheered up I asked for more.
Life force is in eating.


The business is brisk.
The doorbell rang.
KP came in the afternoon with
A pink electric pot, my favorite color, the shade of sea shell.
You can drink tea when you want.
Yes.
Thanks to the electric pot
Yes, and it's thanks to you.


The housekeeper came again.
Thank you for looking after me.


KP came again.
I'm grateful to see him many times today.  I AM happy.
He came, bringing sushi for me.
Yet, something is wrong... I feel feverish again.
My favorite hotate sushi, I only ate three pieces.


Wheezing
Short of breath
My chest was full with suffering; my heart was empty.
The night was approaching 
The night I would sleep alone.


I always stumble before saying a goodbye.
The heart is hollowing every second.
The heart is cooling every second.


While the water in the pink sea shell is steaming warm.


The sound of a closing door, the last one for today 
was the sound of sadness.

Poem by Maria Franki

Edited and translated by J. Ujiie

©2011