Written by Sheila Kal
Where is my sunlight?
Viola Davis, Oprah + Viola: A Netflix Special
Cry, child
so the memory is soft
The night lights across Tokyo
both fascinate and separate me
evenly
How can a people collectively
live so well, so at ease with
their culture and democracy intact?
My friends and I had to
get arubaito (part-time jobs)
A Belgian classmate
got a left arm sleeve tattoo worth
our last salary
His week trip to Seoul?
My entire savings
Unfair? Yes
Life is cruel? Yes
How do I stand?
How do I not break my heart,
my bank, my mind, my back?
How do I bleed joy?
When I meet my old self, as I often do
Black, blue and oh so bruised
I laugh and she, startled, wonders how? Why?
So I take her hand and we walk
I do not shame our body for the mania
nor the downtime
Baby, this too shall pass
It must. It will
About the Writer:
Sheila is a Kenyan poet, student, thinker and graduate of the 2024 Adventures Creators Programme. This series follows her reflections on life in Japan and the transformative power of travel and exploring new cultures.
