Tanka poems against the war

Abracadabra!

May a magic carpet of

The Arabian Nights

Change falling missiles into

Sparkling stars of jelly beans

アブラカダブラ！千夜一夜のじゅうたんよ

降るミサイルをこんぺいとうに変えよ

The tanka poem above was written when Iraq was heavily bombed during the Iraq war in 2003.

On the 28th of March 2023, a world-wide renowned musician and composer, Ryuichi Sakamoto passed away. He got "Hi-sen (sustainability for peace)" published in 2001. It is said that he believed he could stop war on terror when people act and keep wanting and voicing no war.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9tECKZ60zk

R. I. P. Ryuichi Sakamoto

I appreciate everything you have done for peace, and I will keep doing whatever little I could do for peace.

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An air raid left a

Town devastated like the

Surface of the moon

With a spoon, parts of a dish,

A doll and blood stains scattered

月面のごとくに破壊されし街

スプーン、大皿、人形、血痕

"Flowers and Bombs" supported the statement below on the 12th of April, 2023.

Statement against the delivery of depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine by the British Government

British Ambassador Her Excellency Ms. Julia Longbottom

   We are citizens living in Japan who seek peace and global environmental protection.

   We are astonished and deeply concerned about the fact that depleted uranium ammunition is included in the military supplies to be sent by your country to support Ukraine, as reported by the BBC and other media. Depleted uranium weapons emit radiation such as alpha rays that have harmful effects on human body, and their chemical toxicity as a heavy metal is also pointed out.

In fact, since 2007, the United Nations General Assembly has repeatedly passed resolutions warning dangers of depleted uranium weapons to health and the environment. Also in May 2008 the European Parliament adopted a resolution on depleted uranium weapons and their mal-effect on human health and the environment – towards a global ban on the use of such weapons.

It has been reported that a huge amount of the depleted uranium weapons used in the Iraq War gave lethal damage on health not only of US soldiers but also of those belonging to British Army as well.

   In addition, local doctors have expressed concerns over the fact that the incidence rate of childhood cancer among Iraqi children has prominently increased.

We cannot help but express our deep concern and regret once again for your country supplying Ukraine with such weapons that could pose a serious damage on human bodies and environment.

We would like to ask you to convey our concerns to your home country and hope to take your effort to prevent providing depleted uranium weapons to Ukraine.

Load the cylinder

With soap water! Shoulder arms!

And fire!

See strings of colorful bubbles

Floating up toward the sky

弾倉にせっけん水をこめて撃て！

虹のシャボンを空に飛ばそう

How I wondered why we could not stop the War on Iraq.

I could not stand that innocent people were killed in the name of war.

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The cause of war was

Shalalala lululu

Does or did anybody

Ever know whereabouts of

Weapons of Mass Destruction?

戦争の大義よ　ルルル　ルルルルル

大量破壊兵器はどこに

Twenty years ago, I felt so depressed because I felt like being forced to swallow lies. Not only I but many people around the world knew that Iraq had no Weapons of Mass Destruction.

Today, I feel the same. I don't want to swallow any more lies. 

Today, On the 26th of April 2023, the House of Representatives Committee on Economy, Trade and Industry passed the ``GX (Green Transformation) Decarbonized Power Supply Bill,'' which allows the extension of the operation of nuclear power plants for more than 60 years, including the Atomic Energy Basic Act, which clearly states that the use of nuclear power is a "national responsibility. 

Do you know that Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident occurred on the 26th of April 1986? 

What a doomed day! It should be remembered as the V day for the nuclear power mongers and a cursed day for innocent people in Japan, the world and the future.

"Look at the lies we've swallowed."

Civil War · Guns N' Roses  

The tanka poems and drawing from "Flowers and Bombs: Stop the Violence of the War Now!" by Kaoru Kobashi

https://hanabaku.blogspot.com/