Martha Nakamura
A line I don't want to forget
The quiet brightness of being alive casts a shadow over you
From "Moonlight" by Masayuki Kishida. Included in "The Wind's Domain" (Shoshi Meridian).
As long as we have life, we cannot live apart from our physical bodies. But my body is not a cold, heavy shackle. Life is not an object that casts a dark shadow; it is like a light bulb, shining warmly just by being there. I had grown accustomed to the brightness of life, and it woke my eyes, which had become dark.
I don't want to forget my own line
Who on earth would want me to be strong and flawless?
From "One-man Sumo at Tsukuba Yamaguchi." Included in "Tanuki no Hako" (Shichosha).
Yuko Fuzuki
A line I don't want to forget
A tefu tefu crossed the Tartary Straits.
From "Spring" by Fuyue Anzai. Included in "101 Contemporary Japanese Poetry" (Shinshokan).
When you think of one-line poetry, this is the first piece that comes to mind. The softness of the characters and sound of "tefu tefu" contrasts with the joy of the sound of "dattan kaikyou" and the way your mouth pronounces it. After the focus is on the small motif of a butterfly, a magnificent view of the strait unfolds. It's as if the camera is zooming out. Please pay attention to the widening of the rich imagery.
I don't want to forget my own line
I'm sure one day I'll laugh at everything in this diary and think it was all childish. Please come and pick me up soon.
From "To Me in My Diary." Included in "Baptism Diary" (Poplar Publishing).
Mukaizaka Whale
A line I don't want to forget
You can die every morning and every night
From Shuntaro Tanikawa "New Poetry." Included in "Book of Poetry" (Shueisha).
This line seems to be asking me: Is there anything more important than life? It's scary to let go of who I was yesterday, but it makes me realize that it's okay. The quote is from a poem about how to write poetry, and it's amazing that even something like that can be turned into poetry.
I don't want to forget my own line
Who said hatching only happens once?
From "Hentai" (Pervert). Included in "For a Very Small Understanding" (Shironekosha).
Kang Huchu
A line I don't want to forget
Over the receiver of the public phone booth, a lonely cotton field stretched out into infinity
From Park Jeong-dae's "The Loneliness of Emotions." Included in Park Jeong-dae Poetry Collection (Doyo Bijutsusha Publishing).
The uncertainty of my first language, a life of commuting back and forth between Japan and Korea. I used to feel like I had no roots anywhere. The more I wrote poetry in Japanese, the stronger my attachment to the Korean language and my identity became, and in fact my loneliness deepened. But now I know that loneliness should never be shut away. Loneliness is connected. Every time I read this line, I feel a sense of life.
I don't want to forget my own line
Hey, Mom. I can't hear any insects today.
From "Autumn Night." Included in "To the Lake" (Shoshi Bunko).
