Grieving

I remember...trees
Trees a century old, on an ancient hill.

I remember other trees in bloom

And worshipers that lay gazing at the crowded boughs.

I remember city lights and tea bowls

And women in lovely cotton robes...

Mounds of sweet dough rising in the sun,

Gilded temples to honor imagined gods.

I remember people everywhere,

Each one a world unto themselves, yet kind.

I remember all that I left,

And grieve at all that has been lost.

(Final image taken from the Web at http://bit.ly/heaURB)

*From September 2004 to July 2005, I lived in Japan as an exchange student. My time there was one of the greatest experiences of my life. The photos that I have posted here today (with the exception of the last) are from my personal collection, and are some of my favorites. Since the recent earthquake and tsunami there, I feel as if I have lost a dear friend. The news makes me weep. My thoughts and prayers are with the Japanese people and the friends and teachers I left behind when my visit ended. Thank you for reading.