Sweat Heart

March 8th

12:50 pm
The cell phone rang.
At the other end of the cell phone over the static
I heard my ex-husband's voice.
Tears overflowed all at once.
Silence flowed between us.

The scenes from the life we shared,
Times of joy and times of sadness, were played back at an incredible speed.
Bob was crying, too,
Sniffling and reaching for tissue paper, just as he used to do in those old days.
He got the last sheet, and we laughed together.
Just as we used to be.

Love remains unchanged
I became convinced.
I don't wish to make up for the time after we broke up.
I'm sure you feel the same.
I just am happy to feel our feelings are still there after those years.

My sweetheart,
His voice, resonates
In the same way it did.
What is not the same is I have to say goodbye for good.

KP was watching
Our tears and conversation
My oscillating feelings
The moment I was convinced,
Like a robot
Turning pages of the newspaper.

My life goes on.
Laundry.
Grocery shopping.
Cleaning.
I am grateful, KP.
You always take good care of me.

We went to a restaurant, "Anbai"
A wheelchair accessible table they have.
And the food is good.
Their retro decor gives me a feeling of peace.
We had a 6000Yen course, and
Were happy with the quality and quantity.

KP loves sake
He helped me to prepare for going to work tomorrow,
Red-faced.
The life flows.

Is my life flowing to the end?
It's sad, it's lonely.
What should I do when the flow reaches to the end.
The answer, nobody knows, nobody tells.

Poem by Maria Franki

Edited and translated by J. Ujiie

©2011