Tuesday, August 06, 2013

FOR SADAKO


Photo by S. Auberle

Today is the anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima.  In Japan there is a legend that if you fold 1,000 paper cranes a live crane will grant you a wish.  Sadako Sasaki, a victim of leukemia as a result of the bombing is a heroine to the children of Japan, who visit her memorial in the Hiroshima Peace Park to leave paper cranes they've made in her honor.

For Sadako, who never got to grow old…
born the year after me, who did.
Her beautiful bones stricken
by the atom bomb disease,
she was only two
when Hiroshima was bombed,
and though spared that awful day,
the poison lurked within,
and ten years later consumed her.

Only because I was born
across the world, did I receive
 the gift of growing old
and when these bones
of mine are ash, fling them
into the sky, into wind
and my beloved lake,
return them to earth,
let them make a tree.

Mix my ashes with Sadako
and all those who have died
and are dying every day,
in our still-misguided
attempts at ending war.
Blend me into that soul
waiting to be born, the one
who will finally  bring peace,
for until we learn, there is nothing--
not even a thousand cranes--
that can save us now.

2 Comments:

Blogger Ralph Murre said...

perfect.

8:05 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

thank you Ralph...
Mimi

6:32 AM  

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