Poem: Hiroshima No Pika

First repost.  Original post date: January 13, 2005. 

After posting this on Myspace, it won First Place in my university's Honors Poetry Contest.

I wrote this poem about a year ago or so. I am including it here because I am about to use it as a teaching aid in my children's literature class. I am doing a project on illustrated books for children that deal with intense topics, for example the book my poem is about, which relates to the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima, Japan in WWII. This book affected me as a child (as the poem will show) and it is going to be a part of my presentation to the class.

HIROSHIMA NO PIKA
Story and illustrations by Toshi Maruki

I was eight years old.
Mama and I had returned
Home from the library,
The only place in the valley
That gave solace from the summer heat.
We had a heavy stack
Of picture books,
Twenty or more:
Enough to occupy
My quiet vacation moments.
Mama always chose
The most beautiful pictures
And interesting stories.
When we would curl up together,
Sometimes she would read,
Or maybe I would,
But there was magic
No matter whose voice.
I found hidden
In the middle of the pile
A slim book
With curious words
On the vivid crimson cover.
I can still remember
The peculiar title:
Hiroshima No Pika:
The Flash of Hiroshima.
Toshi Maruki, painting
With stunning shades,
Told the story of a little girl
Just my age, named Mii.
Her world began as luscious green,
But with a flare of radiance,
Became vivid reds,
Gloomy grays,
Scorched, naked flesh,
Noises unbearable and scary.
I couldn’t understand how light
Might be painful
Like Mii said it was.
My mother read to me,
And had to explain
The details that were left out.
Once I realized how many
Children became lanterns
Floating down Motoyasu River
Towards the Inland Sea,
Once I understood that light
Can sear off skin,
Make limbs disappear,
Teeth fall out,
Make shadows tangible shapes
On whatever walls remained,
I hid
The book under the couch,
Facedown,
For fear of stumbling on it,
Knocking its bright covers open
To some scarlet page
Overflowing with soot-
Covered children,
Cowering,
Burning too fast to cry.