Hana Sato, Grade 12
UWC Costa Rica

Those early days
Longing for those early days
Oh how hard can life be
Not seeing, not living again 

Can’t see, can’t hear
Where are they?
Where are the children?
Where got my childhood left?

Can’t see, can’t hear
Empty parks, empty backpacks
No colored pencils, no colored drawings, can see gray
No laugher, no tearful tantrums, can hear silence

Where are they?
Where are the children?
Reviving corners, drawing rainbows
The village gets empty, empty, empty, lonely

Where got my childhood left?
No one fills my memories
No one comes after me
Early days awaited reminder

Those forgotten days
Longing for those forgotten days
Oh how hard can life be
Not seeing, not living again 


Image Courtesy: https://golden-zipangu.jp/japan-kindergarten/