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Must Not Be Diluted

As time passes, memory inevitably fades.

Some things soften with age, some are mercifully forgotten,

and some must never be diluted—no matter how distant they seem.

This poem reflects on what time may be allowed to erode,

and what must be preserved with unwavering clarity,

especially when the desire for peace is at stake.

 

“Must Not Be Diluted”

 

Things that fade—

the pale memories of childhood.

 

Things that do not fade—

the kindness once received from others.

 

Things we wish would fade—

painful experiences.

 

Things that can only fade—

unconscious forgetting.

 

Things we hope to dilute—

the many failures we have made.

 

Things we are forced to dilute—

the stains upon a life.

 

Things that must not be diluted—

concern for society and human compassion.

 

Things that must not be weakened—

anger and the capacity for critique.

 

Things that must never be diluted—

the history of defeat

and the cruelty of war.

 

Things that cannot be diluted—

the aspiration for peace

enshrined in the Constitution of Japan.

 

Written April 28, 2022.

As forgetfulness increases with age, memories inevitably fade.

Even so, among all that grows faint,

this is the one thing I wish to preserve until the very end:

the aspiration for peace.

 

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