Is it peculiar to us Japanese
to pretend not to see,
to turn a blind eye?

Or is it for every people
to turn a blind eye to
what they don’t want to see?

I wonder this
whenever I think of a Sri Lankan woman
who died at an immigration facility.

Wasn’t there anybody
who would help her
by reproving the bureau officer?

While we can stand up for each other,
can’t we take objection?
Can’t we reprove others?

I know from my experience that
there are many wimps
who won’t take objection,
even in a first-class international conglomerate.

Are there any soils
in Japan and in the world
for true justice and human rights
which is the true LOVE?

I am filled with the sense of helplessness,
longing for a true PEACE,
not the superficial one.
(August 15, 2021, for a Sri Lankan woman)

Teruko Yamakawa (translator)