Kaiko- a child of forgiveness
I have been saving the ” Kaiko” set since February with the intention to publish it with a favorite Japanese poem of mine. After what happened in Japan, I simply cannot. I can’t talk about Japan and pretend what happened didn’t happen. And I won’t. I won’t pretend it didn’t affect me either.
I have lived in Bulgaria during the time of the Chernobyl catastrophe. In Bulgarian “cherno” means black and for me April will always keep the black, dark memories of the disaster. I remember how my parents were a laughingstock for not letting me out of the house, for not letting me eat any produce and giving me iodine drops when everyone was saying no radiation leaked and there wasn’t any danger for the public. I remember how my father almost lost his job, because someone said he mention the word radiation in public. I also remember the years after when finally the truth came out and people realized the extent of the damage this will cause for generations to come. I was a child.
I am watching the news today and this is all I can think about. I know that people are much better prepared for such things now, than they were years ago. I know the workers on the plant are doing whatever they can to prevent another catastrophe from happening and I am grateful for the risk they are taking in the name of all the people who will be affected if it does happen. And I am really, really hoping we all can do something to help prevent history repeating itself.
I was holding all this anxiety in me, born from the haunting memories and TODAY I want to say – enough. I will be Kaiko, the child of forgiveness that will accept what happened and the fact that there is nothing that can be done about the past and I will do what I can to help TODAY. The workers, who are going to change history, the people who died in this tragedy, the people who have lost a loved one are in my prayers.
And now my Japan inspired Kaiko set with hope for a better future…
Copic bamboo illustration bookmark
Copic bamboo illustration notebook
If you have anything you have done that reflects your emotions about the current situation in Japan, I will be happy to see it!
Annie
Annie