Reflections of a Man's Heart

I am always aware of my mother,
ominous, threatening,
a pain in the depths of consciousness.
My mother is like a shell,
so easily broken.
Yet the fact that I was born
bearing my mother's shadow
cannot be changed.
She is like a cherished, bitter dream
my nerves cannot forget
even after I awake.
She prevents all freedom of movement.
If I move she quickly breaks,
and the splinters stab me.

- Nagase Kiyoko