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All posts by Yuko
I recommend Dawn.
Summer dawn, what’s not to love. It’s here today, not to stay for long.
Up the hill, or down to the beach. Will drive empty streets. Watch the light sneak into the pre-dawn quiet.
I’m the sinister figure looking into your rice field, or up at the sky with my back facing the sun asleep right below the horizon.
What’s she doing out there, which planet is she from, she waiting for a ride back home, oh look, she’s talking, to her friends in the sky, or spirits of frogs ran over during the night…
In fact I’d be talking to myself, can I just not move for a moment or two, which ain’t audible to rural early risers, not until I laugh fairly loudly at my own sloth; I hate tripod.
All the images were shot in late June, 2013 – sometime around the solstice, by yours truly the staying upper, camera hand held.
近頃カエルの声がいくぶん大きくなったように感じる。個体がでかくなったのか、声帯だけぶっとくなったのかそれとも頭数が増えたのか。謎は深まるばかりだが、目にする単体は無邪気に小さくて愛くるしい。
なかには夜になると田んぼから飛び出し、夜露のアスプァルト上を弾性の嬉しそうなカーブを描いてはねるのもいて、こっちはたいした善人でもないが慌ててジグザグ走行に入り、このときばかりは過疎暮らしに感謝する。
夏の明け方は夜通し鳴きつづけたカエルたちの声もこころなしか疲れ気味でその数も少ない。車を止めて一歩踏み出すと、子供部屋のベッドリネンの柄のようにコミカルなポーズで真っ平らに轢かれたカエルたちが目に入る。彼らはまたカエルとして戻ってきて明日の夜あたりには大合唱に加わるのだろうか。無風で湿度の高い薄明かりに謎の粒子がみっしり詰まる夜明け前の一瞬である。
写真はすべて夏至あたりの早朝に怪しく撮影。
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Red. Unrest.
Listen
until you hear the Waves roaring in the petals.
The drawing is of spider lily petals, colored pencil on paper, 38 x 54cm, a continuing study of the blossom for my upcoming dye piece.
Currently going through bouts of overwhelm at the sight of the bold red challenge. Too late though, I’ve already seen, and heeded, too much of what they have to unveil.
Small adjustment made on texts in the middle on 17Sep21
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Seagull, you fly.
Memories of many flights linger. Of gliding through salt water mists and sprays. 90 degree dives, the impacts, the chills. How sardines danced on this beak.
空を翔んだ記憶が波音のなかに消えてしまうまでもう少し時間がある。
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Japan is…
(This post is unrelated to nationalism, activism, buddhism or martyrism.)
I study society by asking Google simple questions. One day I felt like finding out what other people think of this country. Well look what I found…
None bothered me except the 3rd. Feeling lucky? You bet! Don’t worry though, ’cause I was just wondering that myself.
In fact I was thinking, maybe that’s the reason why I own a surfboard, although originally the purchase was made for something else.
My neighborhood guys weren’t so happy…
Sinking? What do you mean sinking??
We aren’t sinking, are we sinking?
Calm down fella, your face’s all red. At our age you may want to start winding down, loosen your knuckle and exude the serenity of divine calm…
Oh quiet you pastel-palmed you, and your fuzzy rosy cloud of calmness you’ve been standing in for last 700yrs. At this point nothing can shock you awake, not even a dip in the salt water…
But why, why do they think we are….sinking?
Don’t tell me we are sinking…don’t sink…
-end of dialogue-
As 311 approaches for the second time since the big day, I wanted to clear some air in regard to our living on the edge of the seismic-atomic goings-on.
I heard talks online speculating on Japanese, that we are either in denial, naively misinformed, or staying put due impoverishment. I also noticed some of you are concerned but too polite to come out and ask (thank you for thinking of us). While I surely have no answers to any of the above, why not offer you my humble 5 yen that I think have earned through living on the east half of the island, not too close to get scorched but close enough to feel the fire.
From what I’ve seen and heard in real life, I can safely say everyone’s taking calculated risks, opposed to passively waiting for a direction. They seem to know what they want, what they can handle – emotionally/psychologically, especially – and ways to find the “path of least resistance” , so to speak, in accordance. Without being vocal about what that is, mostly out of consideration for each other – as choices we’re having to make in relation to our new state of being could be highly personal, and often of a delicate variety.
We who live in the nation, may be in this together, but what I keep noticing is the strength, perhaps at deeply hidden core of each, to stand in one’s destiny alone.
And choose the path, suited only for the individual. People know themselves, and we are all so different. Although part so alike, still so different.
Now back to the temple where the above guys reside. The place was built in Heian era, been 900+ years and counting. Sit sturdy on bedrock, built to last. Located in nondescript rural hillside, a nearly secret haven for this gem. Hazard of the hood being wild boars. Edible yes, but often unfriendly and very genki.
The Head Priest, friendly, was the one crafted all the candle holders. They were for the New Year’s eve count down event, the countless candles lighting the temple’s narrow pathways, flickering against the tall black trees in the background.
So this was my first travel guide post. You will have a hard time finding a place like this one without some helpful guide going on and on about everything that’s inviting. Oh, my pleasure, stay tuned for more.
By the way, I heard Japan is about the size of the state of California, though haven’t found the time to confirm with Google about it.
Edited on January 21, 2015.
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Lily sans Red.
Study on spider lilies continues on.
Getting more detailed, developing a somewhat specific direction compared to the ones I did a bit ago.
すべて彼岸花。
子供の頃地獄花と呼んで怖がった、と昨秋満開の河原で撮影中に犬連れの女性が話してくれた。心に残る一期一会。２つ前の投稿の続編。
Spider Lily Red
Spider Lily is the kind of flower that makes me feel like I am looking at something I should not.
All, except for the drawing, the first study of the blossom, were photographed back in Autumn 2012.
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So Still
I discovered, not too far from my home, a place that emits extreme silence.
Mid winter cherries. Gathering spring in the color pink right beneath.
真冬の桜、枝にピンクの色素が集まっているところ。近所の恐ろしく静かな貯水池で。
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2013: Make It Great
All taken during the first sunrise of the year.
写真はすべて元旦の早朝に撮影、是非素晴しい一年にしてください。
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The Best Thought I’ve Ever Thought
dawned on me today, that
I’m gonna miss being me
when I’m gone.
Text: “The best thought I’ve ever thought” November 03, 2012, originally posted on cowbird.com.
Pictures: Both from early 2014. Kites gliding is a video still, Fukui, Japan, 2011. The small wood sculpture is from 1996. I wrote about my sculptor phase here: Abstraction in Nature, a Tribute.
