Poem of the Week By Takako Itoh
Biography:
Takako Itoh is a Japanese poet, digital artist, and story creator. She has a deep love for words and especially enjoys writing poems in English. She began writing poems from 2007 to 2009 through MySpace.com. After a hiatus from 2010 to 2022, she resumed writing poems in March 2023. Her unique style is influenced by traditional Japanese forms such as Haiku and Tanka. Since 2024, she has also been focusing on creating image videos based on her original poetry. She believes that visual movies can expand readers’ imaginations, leaving vivid impressions in their minds. Her dream is to heal sadness in a peaceful way all over the world.
Backstory:
Not just in this poem, but in all poetry, sensibility governs the words. For example, the scents that nature provides and those artificially created by humans are essential elements in poetry. This poem begins with colors, then the scents continue to weave the words, the sound of splashing water adds another layer of inspiration, and finally, it ends with colors. I hope that a poem expressed in this way will make you feel as if you are viewing a painting in a tranquil art museum.
Poem-Mock/White Reminiscence
Pale, thin clouds veil the sky like a delicate shroud.
The wind at 10am in early June mirrors the breeze
by the poolside at 3pm in late July,
carrying whispers of summer’s end.
The scent of chlorine on my tongue etches a trace in my mind,
flickering like a heat wave dancing on the horizon.
The sunlight fails to pierce the cloud layer,
casting a muted glow over the world.
People’s daily lives remain unchanged from yesterday, a monochrome routine.
Thus, a gust of wind attempts to erase this hazy memory of mine.
Yet, even to the end,
the sound of splashing water recalls your broad back, spine visible,
a silhouette against the shimmering pool.
With the eyes of a girl yearning for future romance in pastel hues…
©2025 Takako Itoh