1996-1997
- by Mizuho
Ichino
- A Clock |
- A Mantis |
- A Microscope |
- Vanilla |
- A Fire |
- Luck |
- A Trip through Colors |
-
A Clock-
Stop the clock ticking
We are pretty sick
Animals.
I could stop every clock in the world,
taking the batteries out.
Still I can hear the ticking from my body
from the heart and the womb.
I heard that he took his battery out
from his body on a winter day.
Then, is he happy now?
I am happy when I blow out lots of candles
on the cake and eat, devouring with friends.
by Mizuho Ichino
-
-
A Mantis-
He was there,
watching me with two small dots,
beckoning with his hands,
large brown axes of an old Death.
I was too shy to watch
him flag-signing
"I want you to eat me!"
His axes, reflecting sunshine, were
two white bikes flying past me
on the highway.
He removed every nightmare
that had ever annoyed me
from my body.
He begged me.
I bit the top of his head with all my force.
Snow, falling on his eyes.
What was most tasty were his axes
that once made me bleed.
Death comes slowly with Birth.
Sweet Death.
He tasted it by himself,
leaving me alone.
by Mizuho Ichino
-
-
A Microscope-
Sitting on the bed for a long time
she smilled;
a flower opening in the cotton field.
Looking into the cells that are seen
only by a microscope
of 500 magnifications, she
whispered hello into
each of them.
"Mom, I'll come to see you tomorrow."
A middle-aged man left Room No. 3.
by Mizuho Ichino
-
-
Vanilla-
Because of the tall apricot tree,
I can't blow myself up.
After the explosion, there comes cold rain.
In the coldest month of the year,
the wild wind will blow,
with the big mouth laughing.
Today I locked my refrigerator lest
the ice cream melt and
vanilla fill the wind.
by Mizuho Ichino
-
-
A Fire-
In front of me, the rice plant fields
of ancient Japan are spread through my sight.
All the plants are yellow, laden with hulls.
Suddenly a strong wind blows from the east.
Big swells break on the field.
Rice plants bend back and forth
with sounds of promise.
I decide to move.
Beyond the field, I see two paths.
I know which way to go.
I know which way I might want to follow.
Instead of going to the path, I just sit
at the turning point.
I make a fire.
I never cry.
I don't want anybody to hear me crying.
I watch the fire.
I am waiting for something in the dark.
The fire is almost extinguished by the swell.
by Mizuho Ichino
-
-
Luck-
How is your elephant?
I know you still live in the crescent burning
in the red ocean.
I'm sure you don't remember me, but I do you.
Even, sometimes I found myself speaking to you
as you lean to the earth in a white cloud.
I tried to throw away luck.
You thought I would be your Mary but I am
your own Juda.
Hope you are in heaven with a cross.
A year has passed since I went to your planet.
You admire my planet, but my life is not easy as you imagine.
Time makes me wiser. I can find you out even though you
are disguised as a clown. I hated you before.
I'm sure I remember you and will think of you until I die.
This is my bitter love, this is my sweet revenge.
I hope your elephant does not lay an egg!
I'll see you again. I don't think you can find me.
You see how I take care of you
and how I hate you.
by Mizuho Ichino
-
-
A Trip through Colors-
You always say such silly things.
You start me on fire. I go up
smoking in white.
I pass through trees slowly, go up and up.
All I can see is blue
dripping purple dots
spilt all over.
It is getting colder.
Blue is getting dark and dark.
I am in the black wave, drowning.
I am dizzy, and I am so comforted
A shriek
comes into my ear and I
jump up.
I see nothing but a huge stone in front of me.
I remember seeing and hearing it in a warm pool.
When I saw the stone before, my hair was
shining silver in the sunshine.
I hope you remember.
I hope you stop talking and listen.
It's high time we went back to
what we had been.
by Mizuho Ichino
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