By Stephanie Midori Komashin
2nd Place, Poetry, Create | Encounter 2021
Poems will be written in the Japanese hiragana first, then Japanese rōmaji, then the English translation. Haiku syllables are 5, 7, 5 and tanka syllables are 5, 7, 5, 7, 7 in the Japanese.
子宮の子
細胞分裂
えらいよね
Shikyuu no ko,
saiboubunretsu
erai yo ne.
Child in child’s palace,*
your cell division
so impressively capable!
* The Japanese word for “uterus” [子宮] literally means “child’s palace” [子+宮].
胸キュン！
御利巧ちゃんの
心音だ
Munekyun!
O-rikou-chan no
shinoto da!
My chest tightens (from emotion)!
It’s the sound of the heartbeat
of my well-behaved, clever little one!
To children separated by miscarriage:
お付き合い
短時間でも
ありがとう