terraced rice fields
sheltering in a wooden hut
leaking thatched roof
my yukata gets wet
with black rain
a freezing winter day
charcoal-burning stove
smell of roasted sesame
organic sweet miso soup
dosimeter clicking sound
I take photographs
with my father’s muddy lens
dark, blurry images
similar to my memories
which I am slowly losing
a spit of fields and sand
where a pine forest grows
after the tsunami
what I really want is to
once again live in my home
ILONA MARTONFI is the author of four poetry books, Blue Poppy, Black Grass, The Snow Kimono and Salt Bride. Her work has published in numerous journals across North America and abroad. Six chapbooks, Visiting the Ridge, Charivari, Magda, Adagio, Mud and Moth. Her poem “Dachau on a Rainy Day” was nominated for the 2018 Pushcart Prize. Artistic director of Visual Arts Centre Reading Series and Argo Bookshop Reading Series. QWF 2010 Community Award.
Montréal Writes 