Reflections of a Man's Heart

Did you see in the shadowy woods

a branch grew, leaves came out

of a girl's pliant extended arms

and quickly became a tree?

Did you see?

A youth stood by the tree,

took off his deep blue coat,

and in a moment became a dove?

(The telephone keeps ringing, ringing.

   Nobody answers, nobody is there, today is

   Sunday)

When the lights go on on the suburban trains,

People come back to their office buildings

wearing the face of human beings.

Haven't you heard the story?

In the nearby meadow,

one or two unknown horses have lingered on

these days after a holiday.

(The telephone keeps ringing, ringing.

   Nobody answers.

   Nobody is there. Eventually, it's Monday)

- Shinkawa Kazue

Not much free time these two weeks, after Rye arrived.

In fact, I'm writing this early in Sunday, while she sleeps like a baby. . .

These days we have been around shopping, and had to do some paperwork for her Visa here.

Unfortunately, we had some trouble when she arrived, so apparently we will get a Visa for only 8 months.

It seems Visas are being handled much more strictly nowadays, maybe because there is a lot of illegal residents in the country. Now, no less than 12% of the population is from other countries...

Whatever, I don't think we will have much of a problem to renew it later.

. . .

These two weeks since she arrived have been good, but both of us have the feeling that we haven't been able to really meet, and missed a lot just having a rest.

Yes, it looks more like a military instruction camp, with so many chores to handle ^^

In fact, I think yesterday was the first day we enjoyed that "like in vacation" feeling. We spent the evening doing nothing, just reading in bed. Soooo lazy!

While she had some appointment with other students in her academy to get out on Saturday night, in the end nothing materialized. Exceptionally, it was a *good* thing. Really needed to spend some time together doing nothing.

. . .

At work, things are just so-so, most of my energies put into something else nowadays. Now that Rye is here, I think I will start to rethink what I want from my work, and what new directions to pursue.

Let's see what happens. . .

As I lay with my head in your lap camerado,

The confession I made I resume, what I said to you and the open air I resume,

I know I am restless and make others so,

I know my words are weapons full of danger, full of death,

For I confront peace, security, and all the settled laws, to unsettle them,

I am more resolute because all have denied me than I could ever have been had all accepted me,

I heed not and have never heeded either experience, cautions, majorities, nor ridicule,

And the threat of what is call'd hell is little or nothing to me,

And the lure of what is call'd heaven is little or nothing to me;

. . . Dear camerado! I confess I have urged you onward with me, and still urge you, without

    the

                  least

                  idea what is our destination,

Or whether we shall be victorious, or utterly quell'd and defeated.

- Walt Whitman