Tanka poems against the war

 I need your help, my friend, 

to change the chain of violence into a chain of hope.

暴力の連鎖を希望の連鎖に変えるために、あなたの力を分けてください。

Bouryoku no rensa wo kibou no rensa ni kaeru tameni, anata no chikara wo wakete kudasai.

This is the last sentence from the preface of "Flowers and Bombs" published in 2004. I have annually donated proceeds from this tiny charity book since then for children in Afghanistan and Iraq; I started donating for children suffering from Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power accident in 2011. 

Yesterday, on September 27th, I made the 20th donation while wishing for a world without war and radioactive pollution where this charity project is no longer necessary.

I still need more and more help to change the chain of violence into a chain of hope.

The world is getting more violent, but I do believe we can change.

You can read the English preface of "Flowers and Bombs: Stop the Violence of the War Now!"

https://hanabaku.blogspot.com/2020/05/blog-post_17.html 

(Please scroll down for English )

The Japanese tanka poem below was about the USA after 9/11. 

I was so scared where the anger would lead us and how it would change the world. 

WAR・WAR・WAR　

手負いの獅子か        Teoi no shishi ka

アメリカは              America wa

敵を探して              Teki wo sagashi te

荒ぶり叫ぶ              Araburi sakebu

Roaring WAR WAR WAR

Like a mad lion injured

America is 

Looking around and searching

For enemies in fury

Japanese and English tanka poems by Kaoru Kobashi

The poster of "To the Children of 911: Do you remember 911?"

A documentary film by Japanese college students released in 2010

＋＋　　　＋＋

Nine days after the attack, the world was forced to be divided.

You'll see in the sky

A rainbow in black and white,

Wearing sunglasses

Through which you can only see

Things either good or evil

七色の虹も二色か単純に　　　　　　

聖邪を分けるメガネかければ

Nana iro no Niji mo nishoku ka Tanjyun ni

Sei-jya wo wakeru Megane kake reba

Speaking nine-days after the deadliest terrorist attacks in U.S. history, President Bush called on America's military to "be ready." And said, "You Are Either With Us, Or With the Terrorists."

Bush: 'You Are Either With Us, Or With the Terrorists' - 2001-09-21

https://www.voanews.com/a/a-13-a-2001-09-21-14-bush-66411197/549664.html

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

https://hanabaku.blogspot.com/

On the blue full moon

Rabbits make tiny rice cakes

Bunny, give some to them ?

When you find hungry children

Looking up into the sky

お腹空かし夜空を見上げる児がいたら

月のうさぎよ餅を配れよ

O naka sukashi Yozora wo miageru Ko ga itara

Tsuki no usagi yo Mochi wo kubare yo

Do you know it has been said in Japan that there are rabbits on the moon and they are making rice cakes? I wrote the tanka poem 20 years ago thinking of children in Afghanistan and Iraq suffering from hunger in the war zone. It is so sad that this year 2023, I still hear that children in Afghanistan are in danger of starvation. 

"more than a third of the country, struggling to find their next meal." in the news of

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/lack-of-funding-forces-un-to-cut-food-aid-in-afghanistan-as-hunger-rises-to-record-levels

I have been helping children there for more than 20 years by donating to some NGOs working for them. I can't do much, but I will do as long as I can.

"Flowers and Bombs: Stop the Violence of the War Now!"

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

https://hanabaku.blogspot.com/