The Gift of Sunflowers
Unchanged sunflowers!
Painted by Van Gogh in Arles
The glitter of time, the wisdom of a dream
Beautiful sky, shining sun
I am changing
In the light where mystery and power are full
I leave myself
In this bright space
My shadow blends in
In the soul
Breathe, my chest!
Perfect storm
The energy that comes to me
Going with the flow
To live
Fly! My imagination
Blow, wind!
With the power of love
In this world
The thought of life
Eternal sunflowers!
Freedom!
Save my soul!!
***
Japanese Women of the Sun
In the beginning, Japanese women were the sun.
They were true human beings.
They did not want to be the moon.
But today’s Japanese women are sickly, pale-faced moons
who live by Japanese men and shine by their light.
If I reproach them, “You are the ones who let this happen after all.”
They lament, “We’ve suffered enough”
or “Let bygones be bygones.
We’re not going to change anyway.”
But it is you who did nothing;
you are just the same people as you were before.
You still think that women are the moon, you fools!
Once you realize this, you will see your station,
your status, and even your foolishness.
And your God will come.
Indeed, Japanese women are the sun.
There is true freedom.
***
[Maki Starfield hails from Japan. She is a poet, a translator and a painter who was born in Ehime, 1972. She earned her Master of Arts from Sophia University, getting the diploma of International business management and the certificate of TESOL in Canada. She is a representative of Immagine Poesia in Japan. Member of Japan Universal Poets Association, and Japanese haiku associates, poet Maki Starfield has been honored with Guido Gozzano Prize (Honorable Mention) 2018,2019, Naji Naaman Literary Prize (Creativity) 2020 and PushCart prize nomination 2020.]
Maki Starfield: Twin Poems
