Iwakuni Sogo High School, Yamaguchi, Japan

Tears and War

If I can grow to love what I hate

My fever will go down

And I'll never be afraid of any scary sounds

But I'll be careful

I hear a voice from somewhere in the distance

"Don't expect others to change this."

I don't even have time to breathe

I am so busy changing this world

Shall we receive those letters from survivors?

 

Just now, not to see anyone

I keep my mouth shut

And make myself calm down

At that moment, Mom said, "Run away!

You can live on and tell the reality of war!"

Only courage inside of me

Just enough to nod a little

Was shivering

 

The reality I'm facing is my friend

I'll pray for everyone

I wish you won't need to come here

 

After crying, the sadness will disappear

Please forget the tears you shed

 

When I had to register as a soldier,

I heard my number called so many times

I got tired of signing documents again and again

The white paper was full of letters

But my mind was blank and I couldn't read them

That paper seemed to be torn in my mind

 

I'm not strong enough to wish to be loved

Let me take a rest for a while

Because I'm tired

I should go home

While it’s stopped raining

Before it starts raining again

 

"I'm home"

No one's at home

I close my eyes

And wish I hadn't said

"I'll miss you."

To Mom

Leaving her sad

 

You can crouch down and hold your artificial legs

Now you can't move them anymore

You can take a rest for a while

But remember those suffering people

 

It might be hard to stop tears reflecting many colors

Let us keep them from falling on the ceiling

Of the bombed house

Please forget the tears you shed

 

I hear a voice from somewhere in the distance

"Don't expect others to change this."

I don't even have time to breathe

I am so busy changing this world

 

Shall we receive those letters from survivors?

THE Peace

                                                                                                                

 

The closer we are, the less we notice important things.

 

We always notice how important they are after we lose them.

 

We can’t notice them until we lose them.  

 

We didn’t have to lose them, though.  

 

Because we are like this,

 

we have things that we have to cherish.

 

It’s too late to notice them after losing them.

 

If we cherish just small happiness we have now,

 

the world will be the place we can call “peaceful”.

NaTuRaL

                                                                                                                                   

Natural.  Natural for me.  Natural for you.  Natural for all.

But such a natural thing for us isn’t natural for somebody.

Daily three meals. 

Drinks to drink when we feel thirsty. 

The home to be back.  

Greetings we receive to start a day when we get up in the morning.

 

Do you have a person who you think you need?

Your boyfriend or girlfriend. 

Your friends and family.

Don’t you think it is natural that all of them are close to you?

Being able to be just beside a person who you need. 

Having a good time with the person.

Seeing him or her. 

Knowing who the person you need is.

These all things seem natural but they aren’t. 

It is not natural

that not only a person who you need but even a stranger stay with you. 

Even such things. 

Even such things aren’t natural for somebody living in this world.

Please don’t forget this. 

If you think it’s natural to have the things you have now,

you are in peace. 

Please don’t forget

that something natural for you isn’t natural for a person here in front of you. 

Please treasure the things or people around you. 

If you have them, you are happy.

Music

 

I think people are influenced by music.

People are cheered up by music.

They can make many friends through music.

People’s hearts are connected best with music,

even though languages are different.

I have met various people

since I began playing the guitar in a band.

What we are doing now may be foolish.

But we are enjoying the activity.

I met some members of the band through music.

I think it is nice to make friends now.

So I love them and the activities to play music. 

I want to keep on the activity of the band.

I want to cherish the activity and the members of the band from now on.

A Morning in August Was Painfully Sad

 

Something fell on August 6, 1945,

in the era I know nothing about.

What happened on this earth?

I don’t know anything about it,

but I must learn about it.

Because the fact “I’m here in this era now” connects with it.

 

Something finished on August 15, 1945,

in the era I know nothing about.

What did they fight for on this earth?

I don’t know anything about it.  

I must learn about it.

Because the fact, “I’m still alive,” connects with it.

I want to learn about something I know nothing about.

Because I will keep on living on this earth.

 

Smiling Face

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

Young people don’t know how dreadful war is. 

The number of people who know real of war is decreasing now. 

I think they need to pass down how dreadful war is to young people

because I think if we know how horrible war is,

we can appreciate how precious peace is.

We must not think we are at peace now. 

There are suffering people in the world now.

I want everyone in the world

to have a smiling face as soon as possible.

Peace

 

On August, 1945,

an atomic bomb was dropped over Hiroshima

and three days later over Nagasaki.

War was over,

and a long time has passed.

Peace memorial ceremonies are held

in Hiroshima and Nagasaki every year.

 

The ceremonies are held

to pray for

permanent peace in the world

and ease of atomic-bomb victims’ souls.

There are many people losing their lives in war

in the world still now.

I hope war will disappear

and that there will be no victims