At the corner of a small path as narrow as a porch
A graveyard of crying fireflies spread silently
At the end of a long tunnel where summer is leaving
An umbrella is thrown away at a deserted station
An origami crane in a treasure box
A newspaper stuck in a trash can
A merry-go-round will never turn again
A digital camera fell into the deep sea
A satellite can’t come back to earth
A bonfire that you forgot to put out
A crazy prayer
A transparent twilight that takes my breath away is coming
~
Uchimura Kaho is a Japanese writer who lives in Tokyo. Her slogan won the grand prize at the Japan Reconstruction Agency Slogan Competition 2017. Her book report won the special prize at the Defense of Japan 2019 (Japan Ministry of Defense) Book Report Competition. She is the author of two novels, Jyuusan sai no taidou and Inishie gatari vol.1. Her novel won the grand prize at Hikone city Funahashi Seiichi Under 30’s Writing Competition 2021. Her poems won the grand prize at Shimazaki Touson Poetry Competition 2021, Minokamo city Poetry Competition 2021 and Tajimi city Poetry Competition 2021. Her Tanka (a genre of classical Japanese poetry) won the grand prize at Minokamo city Tanka Competition 2021 and the Nikkei Newspaper the Best Tanka of the Year Award 2020. Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in The Ekphrastic Review and Eunoia Review. Find more on her website https://uchimurakaho.studio.site