The Villa Sazai. (New Ending). Illustration for the Month of May on my Japanese Calendar.

Why are they looking at the mountain,
These shapely girls who do not show their faces?
Nothing unusual appears to be happening on the distant slopes.

Why are they staring intently across the water
At the rugged cone capped with perfect snow?
The fat man is pointing excitedly towards the peak

Like a sailor spinning yarns of far off lands.
Why do their postures suggest a mood of expectation
More suitable to the dance floor than a stroll on a quiet veranda?

Why are they dressed in blue without exception?
A child is dressed in red, and the seated man in a cloak of vivid green,
But the old woman huddled in the corner is also dressed in blue.

She has trudged for miles, a human beast of burden,
Carrying the pack dropped on the floor behind her.
She has passed this way too many times to count;
This place is where she rests. The view does not concern her.

There is nothing ominous about the choice of colour,
The kimonos match the beauty of the sky,
The pristine sky of a sparkling May morning,

But why are they looking so intently at the mountain? -
There is a legend that in a cave deep in Mount Fuji
Has dwelt for aeons the Bodhisattva Asama,

And no petty mortal is allowed to look on him. -
Perhaps they are dressed in blue to show respect
To a holy power beyond their understanding,

A power that breaks the sword and nurtures peace.
But the faces of these girls are hidden from us,
We can only see their backs and fancy hairdos,

Their eyes will never catch a glance from mine.
And I can never know exactly what they knew.
They remain as secret as the Bodhisattva,

But the face of the old woman tells her whole life story.
She is dressed in blue for a very private reason.
She is dressed in blue because she dare not cry.


Trevor John Karsavin Potter. 
April 6th. 7th. 2019. - Rewritten September 3rd. - 4th. 2019.
Completed January 25th. 2020.

The Hokusai illustration for May on my Japanese Calendar.