A Blooming Grave in My Balcony
written by: Mayumi Yamamoto
Tenten is reincarnated
in these beautiful flowers.
They bloom with abandon since
Tenten passed away last spring.
They proliferate during summer,
and grow taller than expected
as if they want to reach the sky.
They’ve become the habitat of insects as well,
whom they bless with new lives and
embrace with their grace.
Now, it’s autumn.
Still, the days are hot, but the nights are cool.
Showered with autumnal sunshine,
the flowers appear vibrant in my eyes.
But, I know that soon, they will wither
with autumn fading into winter.
An image of my balcony bereft of flowers haunts me,
although I know I cannot stop the passage of time.
So, I cut some of them to keep in an Indian brass pitcher
and in several crystal glasses.
I adore them on my desk and table.
The cut flowers in vessels please my eyes,
yet their tiny petals soar with the wind,
then scatter upon the floor.
Dehydrated fallen petals are endlessly
blown up by the wind,
floating in the air just for a while
and fall down again.
Looking outside,
a drizzle falls on the balcony.
A long spell of autumn rain seems to have just begun.
Here inside,
I have to sweep away the dried fallen petals from the floor,
as I used to do the same with Tenten’s fur.
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