Cherry Blossoms

Cherry Blossoms

His yukata draped neatly, his legs crossed,
the hands on his lap, his face stern,
Ishikawa sat still and upright.

He contemplated on the transient beauty
of the cherry blossoms,
as they gently drifted down in front of him,
silently leaving the branch in which they were born.

The suffused blush of white and pink petals,
like his little daughter's cheeks,
would pause a while before they paled.

He had prayed
for her happiness and long life
during 'hinamatsuri' * - the dolls festival.
She had sung 'sakura *, sakura' in her lilting voice.

They had gone to the river together
and let the dolls float away.
She had laughed.
He did not know then.

Now, he thought, the cherry blossoms will soon wither,
just as she did,
leaving the lonely, barren branch behind.
Silently, his contemplation shifted.

Through memory-laden tears,
he felt the anguish of the branch.
Ishikawa wept.

~ Krishna ~
20 July 2001

* Hinamatsuri - March 3rd is Hinamatsuri festival in Japan. Hina means
dolls and matsuri, a festival. Families who have young girls display hinaningyo (hina dolls) in their homes to wish for happiness for the girls. Hina are supposed to protect the girls from sickness or misfortune. Graceful dolls dressed in old court costume are placed on tiers. The dolls would then be floated down a river or a stream to the sea. The dolls are believed to carry illness and bad luck away from the person.

* Sakura - Cherry blossom. Also the title of the much sung Japanese folk song.

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