The judges appreciated the feminine quality of this evocative piece, which skillfully recreates a moment in a person’s life. Residents of Kyoto and visitors to Japan who have had the pleasure of visiting the Ohara area would be able to imagine the story clearly, based on the vivid descriptions and their personal experiences.
– Karen Lee Tawarayama

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December

Like an old wish dropped in water and ruined,
we’d let our cows roam free,
lost track of our weaving,
and, like Orihime and Hikoboshi,
were permitted to meet only after a year’s time:
Accidentally drinking coffee
under the same Kamogawa magnolia.
We feigned surprise
and headed north without a word
until the river ended
and i took off my high heels
and walked barefoot down the highway.
He smoked a cigarette and we sat on the curb eating ice cream in december.
We didn’t say much
in the forest or even after we’d arrived in Ohara,
pine needles and narrow cement stairways
winding up to worn-down statues,
i thought of calling your name from the snow,
but i didn’t.
We rode the bus home in the dark and fell asleep drinking – a tiny lamp casting
cat-like shadows on the wall.