Impresie. Albastru inefabil…

pro bono – seicho matsumoto

*******

Otsuka knew that Kiriko resented him and he understood her feelings, but he didn’t have the courage to try and set the record straight after all this time.

*******

He was not the judge who had handed down the guilty verdict to her brother, and he was perfectly entitled not to take on a case.
That was the logical standpoint, but Kiriko seemed to believe that the decision of the eminent criminal defense attorney Kinzo Otsuka not to represent her had directly brought about her brother’s guilty verdict. This had dealt Otsuka quite a psychological blow.

2021:
meniul zilei:
un platou cu nuanta
orizontului…

2022:
orizontului,
petalele din plete
stau oglindite…

2023:
stau oglindite
in duetul naturii:
om-sentimente…

2024:
om-sentimente:
cuvintele sunt frunze,
cantecul, culori…

2025:
catecul, culori
vocale, in sunete
atemporale.

2026:
atemporale
ninsori de petale roz –
sezon in floare…

pro bono – seicho matsumoto

*******

“There’s no point staying somewhere where you’re not going to develop, so I’m glad I decided to cut my losses and give up early on.”

*******

“Is it a nuisance to have me here?” Kiriko would ask Nobuko from time to time. But Nobuko would just shake her head in annoyance. “I invited you to come here, didn’t I? You don’t have to stand on ceremony with me. Stop assigning me thoughts.”

*******

“Stop assigning me thoughts.” – s-ar putea sa fie unul dintre cele mai bune sfaturi-reminder ever.

2021:
timpul transforma
vieti de piatra in piatra.
timpul transforma.

2022:
timpul transforma:
durerea in bandaj, iar
verdele, oranj…

2023:
verdele, oranj –
ca trepte in spirala,
furtuni de culori…

2024:
furtuni de culori,
iar de sub ploaia toamnei,
blandete tandra.

2025:
blandete tandra:
prin culorile toamnei,
briza de seara…

2026:
briza de seara,
alungand fierbinteala
unui vis diurn…

pro bono – seicho matsumoto

*******

He couldn’t escape from the thought of “what if.” It was the sort of pious self-confidence that came from many years of experience, which had, on occasion, enabled him to prove innocent a defendant who was universally considered guilty.
[…]
It was rather like the bad taste one had in one’s mouth after hearing of a patient who died in the care of a mediocre medical practitioner after having been turned away by a competent doctor.
Plus, at the time, he’d been in an awful hurry to set off for Kawana to meet with Michiko Kono.
It was partly because he was in such a rush that he had declined the young woman before listening properly to her story. Had he not been so pressed for time, he might at least have listened to the gist of what it was she had to say. He might have discovered some inconsistency in the facts of the case and decided to take it on himself. The majority of the cases on which he had made his reputation and worked pro bono had started out in much the same way.

*******

The white fog became steadily thicker. Otsuka watched its movement and wondered whether it was true what people said about heavy fog giving off sound.

*******

ce idee melodioasa de ceata (in)cantatoare!…

2021:
dupa ce ploua,
acuarela devine
desen in creion…

2022:
desen in creion –
o poveste osciland
intre dimensiuni…

2023:
intre dimensiuni,
doar soiuri de clarobscur:
altfel de simturi…

2024:
altfel de simturi
se amesteca in ghem –
de lana verde.

2025:
de lana verde,
din firul destinului,
crosetezi povesti…

2026:
crosetezi povesti –
din cuvinte uitate,
si stropi de ploaie…

pro bono – seicho matsumoto

*******

They were full of reports about the splendor of the cherry blossoms in Dazai and carried large photographs to prove as much.

*******

“XX Town is a quiet residential area located away from shopping centers and the more lively parts of town. It still retains a number of old samurai houses from its castle town days.

*******

o societate in care ziarul local este plin cu articole si poze ilustrand splendoarea ciresilor in floare…

2021:
“univers dragut” –
cu suspin indragostit
sopteste gandu-i…

2022:
sopteste gandu-i
idei gen, iar aricii,
brusc, devin iarba…

2023:
brusc, devin iarba
crescand alte zambete-n
ochi de primitor…

2024:
ochi de primitor,
binevoitor caut
Serenitatea…

2025:
Serenitatea:
in viata, anotimpuri
de acceptare.

2026:
de acceptare
sa nu te feresti; astfel,
privesti schimbarea…

2021:
camp de nori alerg,
dulceata de ciresi sa
ma-bratiseze…

2022:
ma-bratiseaza
valuri de primavara –
din cer ori ocean?…

2023:
din cer ori ocean,
roz de ciresi in floare:
un alt rasarit.

2024:
un alt rasarit,
ivit pe un alt cer, de-un
altfel de soare.

2025:
altfel de soare,
un ocean sclipind a roz,
un cer de petale…

2026:
un cer de petale:
asupra pamantului,
ploua cu parfum…

pro bono – seicho matsumoto

*******

A short, blackened cigarette butt lay twisted and broken in the mud. The crushed, mud-covered shape made Kiriko think of her brother’s situation.

*******

“You did come all this way to Tokyo. It would be a waste.”
“A waste…” muttered Kiriko, once the maid had gone.
Going out in the fresh air and looking down at the trains did not dispel her feeling of unease, which seemed to be encapsulated in that one final word uttered by the maid.
She tried to suppress it, but it wouldn’t be suppressed, instead resonating in her heart like a distant echo.
She had often been described as headstrong by her brother—her brother, who now stood accused in an unsolved murder case.

*******

“Then please tell Mr. Otsuka,” she said. “I don’t know whether anyone can save my brother. If I had eight hundred thousand yen, perhaps he could be saved, but unfortunately I just don’t have that kind of money. What I have come to realize is that there is no hope for poor people looking for help. Thank you. I am sorry to have troubled you. I won’t request your help again.”

*******

nu stiu la ce sa ma astept, insa le simt ca pe detalii ce prezic desfasurarea ulterioara a cartii; in plus mi-au placut asocierea tigarii arse cu situatia fratelui, vorbele – poate premonitoare, ale cameristei si adevarul trist al ultimului citat…

2021:
“ta-ba-ko” sta scris,
iar eu citesc plutind
in fascinatie…

2022:
in fascinatie
sensurile kanji-lor
se dezvaluie…

2023:
se dezvaluie
semnificatiile
unei departari…

2024:
unei departari,
scrisori de apropiere
dorul trimite…

2025:
dorul trimite
cuvinte de iubire –
telepatie.

2026:
telepatie:
cand sufletul traieste;
injumatatit…

a perfect day to be alone – nanae aoyama

*******

“It’s when you learn what real hardship is.”
I wanted to ask Ginko when that hardship was coming for me, and what form it would take. And I wanted her to teach me how I was supposed to let it into my life when I had no-one to share it with.

*******

“Know why my parents called me Chizu?”
“No, why?”
“Well, the chi part means wisdom, right? And zu means long life. So, my wisdom is supposed to let me live a long life.”
“What a nice name.”
“But I still have, like, zero wisdom.”
“You think so?”
“Yeah, none. Oh, since moving in here, I did learn that if you stick the lid on a pot upside down you can put another pot on top.”
“Well, that’s pretty useful.”
“Oh, and that people change. Especially the parts you wish would stay the same. And the parts you do wish would change, don’t. I wish I knew how to make it the other way round. That’s the kind of wisdom I want.”
“I don’t think that’s how it works, Chizu.”

desene ciudate – uketsu
strange pictures – uketsu

*******

When faced with true sorrow, people lose even the strength to shed tears.

*******

am deschis cartea de curiozitate, in voxa; o cumparasem mai demult, in format kindle insa o tot amanam, pentru vremuri speciale.
curand, m-am trezit ca am terminat primul capitol. probabil ca a fost ca un fel de transa. sete. sugativa. absorbeam cuvintele uscate pe pagini in format digital.
apoi, resemnandu-ma, mi-am zis sa le citesc in paralel – spre a le compara si ca sa incerc sa ma simt mai aproape se varianta originala, in japo – dupa cum am facut si cu butter/ unt – asako yuzuki, si cateva alte carti.
diferentele au fost putine, insa una in deosebi.

imaginile si explicatiile sunt construite cu maiestrie – desigur, citind se creaza conexiuni, scenarii si ipoteze. insa toate se confirma si se prabusesc concomitent, intr-un ultim capitol absolut maiestuos.

le-am terminat intr-o noapte, iar uketsu si cartea isi merita pe deplin faima, laudele si premiile. daca nu as fi recitit “contele de monte-cristo” si “pe aripile vantului”, ar fi fost, poate, cartea anului. este, cu siguranta, cartea anului in categoria cartilor ce nu pot fi incadrate (ma distreaza nespus aceasta categoriseala-oximoron).

a perfect day to be alone – nanae aoyama

*******

The problem wasn’t that she didn’t understand me, but that she understood me too much.

*******

“All we really are is the part that sticks out from the mould. That’s the real you.”

2021:
univers magic –
stalagmite de smarald
se hranesc cu vis…

2022:
se hranesc cu vis
si cu bucati de suflet,
ochiii altor lumi.

2023:
ochiii altor lumi,
schimbandu-si culorile,
sub alte priviri…

2024:
sub alte priviri,
fluturasii dragostei,
trezesti, tu, oare?!…

2025:
trezesti, tu, oare,
sufletului adormit –
cantul inimii?…

2026:
cantul inimii:
note disonante cand –
iti mai uiti Drumul…

a perfect day to be alone – nanae aoyama

*******

The people trooping down the street without even a glance in my direction looked like figures in a pencil sketch – scraps of paper that might, at any moment, be scattered by the warm breeze. But before I knew it, I could feel those flimsy scraps making shallow cuts in my skin. I sighed, folded my arms tightly across my chest, and, eyes downcast, set off at a brisk pace.

*******

“I think I used up a lifetime’s worth of anger back then.”
“A lifetime’s worth?”
“Yes. I don’t really get worked up about things anymore.”
[…]
“I feel like maybe I should use up all my sadness now, while I’m young. So I don’t end up all miserable when I’m old.”
“No, Chizu, you can’t go using it all up now. If you try and save all the fun for later, you’ll be my age before you know it, and dying will seem like a pretty grim prospect.”

*******

Sometimes, when I sat opposite her eating dinner, I’d feel like I’d suddenly aged dramatically. When someone has been alive that long it can feel like they’ve stopped ageing entirely and it’s just you catching up with them…

2021:
sorb rau de stele,
sangele devenindu-mi
calea lactee…

2022:
calea lactee
printre clipoceli de vant
scoborandu-se…

2023:
scoborandu-se,
lumina norilor sau
praful astrelor?!…

2024:
praful astrelor:
din trecutul cerului,
fasii de sclipiri…

2025:
fasii de sclipiri
rupand mantia noptii:
stra-fulgerare.

2026:
stra-fulgerare:
i-luminarea, vine
calm, sau cu-tremur?!…

a perfect day to be alone – nanae aoyama

*******

I felt suddenly lonely, in the anxious way that nostalgia always seemed to trigger.

*******

White petals were fluttering down onto me from the cherry trees in front of the station. It was depressing. What was the point in a season like spring that couldn’t make its mind up? Even when it was sunny, there was always that lingering chill in the air, like the weather was making fun of you.

*******

“Water boiling in an empty kitchen – is there anything so sad?”
“Sorry?”
“Don’t you think that’s nice?”
“What . . . is it?”
“A haiku. My niece won third prize for it in middle school.”
“Water boiling . . . wait, how did it go?” “Water boiling in an empty kitchen – is there anything so sad?”
“Right. Sort of . . . melancholy, isn’t it?”

2021:
lacul in verde
ascunde printre valuri
alta padure…

2022:
alta padure
isi scutura in versuri
odele Vietii…

2023:
odele Vietii,
arcuiesc timp si spatiu
de pe portativ…

2024:
de pe portativ,
sunetele zboara, si
devin culori…

2025:
devin culori,
ma plutesc prin Univers,
renasc in verde.

2026:
renasc in verde,
ideile imi plutesc –
printre smaralde…

more days at the torunka cafe – satoshi yagisawa

*******

That was what really made my face burn with shame. Because of me, an ambulance had come speeding down the peaceful market street, no doubt frightening all the people shopping. And then, to top it all off, I was just blithely snoring away. The agony of just imagining it was enough to make me faint.
[…]
Ah, what an idiot I was. Look what I put these kids through. I’m not the only one who knows the grief of losing someone. I’m surrounded by people who have been scarred by losing someone they hold dear. Now I’ve selfishly gone and made them worry about me, these kids who are much younger than I am—and more delicate.

*******

It might sound funny, but it felt like when I collapsed that day, the evil spirit that had been lurking inside me for so long finally left my body. It was as if I’d somehow peeled away the thick layer of skin wrapped around my heart. Now I felt like I’d been reborn. Was my body trying to teach me something after I pushed it to its limits for so long? That’s how it felt.

*******

But I think everyone’s secretly struggling. And we’re still struggling too, even now, but it’s only because we’re still alive that we’re able to go on struggling.” Utsui laughed lightly. “When you think about it, isn’t it wonderful to be alive?”

*******

* acesta sensibilitate innascuta de a nu deranja si respectul pentru “ceilalti”
* subiectul “burnout” intr-o societate faimoasa pentru efectele suprasolicitarii la locul de munca
* perspectiva inversata – zbuciumul existentei ca semn de traire.

2021:
te ascunzi timid
printre armonii, visand
zbor de lebada…

2022:
zbor de lebada
legat etern de pamant –
ce-i libertatea?!…

2023:
ce-i libertatea?
o calatorie spre
sens, si oriunde…

2024:
sens, si oriunde
te poarta gandurile –
semne din trecut.

2025:
semne din trecut,
in prezentul temelor –
tot ignorate.

2026:
tot ignorate,
vise de armonie –
o sa dispara?!…

more days at the torunka cafe – satoshi yagisawa

*******

I mean, it was weird. My mother shouldn’t be here. She died three years ago. After a brief battle against her disease for less than a year, she left me all alone. So then how could she be back in the apartment, looking every bit like she still lived there, ironing laundry like everything was perfectly normal?

*******

“I’m dreaming, right?” “You are.” “What the—” “Isn’t it nice, though, even if it is a dream?” Her voice sounded so carefree that it ended up making me relax too, somehow. All right, fine. I plopped down in front of my mother. We were both bathed in the reassuring light of a Bonnard painting.

*******

“A rose doesn’t bloom to be beautiful, it’s beautiful because it blooms with all its might.” It’s a line from a movie by the king of comedy, Charlie Chaplin.

2021:
albastru soptind
magie parfumata –
sinestezie.

2022:
sinestezie –
dimensiuni convergente
fara de hotar…

2023:
fara de hotar,
in orice directie,
trepte spre Eden…

2024:
trepte spre Eden –
din Albstru se rasar:
straturi de ceruri.

2025:
straturi de ceruri:
cand norii se oglindesc
verde, florile…

2026:
verde, florile
isi cauta cerul, si –
iata, devin cer!…

more days at the torunka cafe – satoshi yagisawa

*******

“If you’re supposed to be a shade tree and watch over your old friend, who watches over you?”

*******

It’s because of coffee trees that shade trees can fulfill their role . . . That way, each one watches and is watched over by the other, don’t you think?

*******

I looked down at the shadows we cast on the asphalt.
The long one was mine.
The smaller one was hers.
Like two trees, growing side by side.

2021:
doar o tara, dar
atatea universuri!
pluri-sufletesti…

2022:
pluri-sufletesti,
flori, copaci, nori si-o moara –
straturi de culori…

2023:
straturi de culori –
gradini par suspendate,
in cer, printre nori…

2024:
in cer, printre nori,
curcubeie fac umbra
pe pamant, prin flori.

2025:
pe pamant, prin flori,
cu ochiii in nori, simtind
gustul cerului.

2026:
gustul cerului,
lasand urme albstrui –
pe cerul gurii…