Amelia Fielden and Jan Foster
Voices Fading
through the drizzle a rainbow of feathers Eastern rosellas arcing over the park — one moment at a time A
Approaching the hospital for an appointment with my specialist, my mind is jangling with the news of yet more deaths recorded overnight from this awful virus engulfing our nation. But as the automatic doors slide open, I step into what seems an alternate universe. The air is filled with a silver shower of harp music, notes falling free, and soothing as summer rain. The harpist is seated by the glass front wall, a halo of sunlight around her adding to the illusion of unreality. I breathe deeply, my spirit already lighter than moments before. J
peaceful drift of lotus flowers afloat over the surface of murky depths J
The last time I visited Nara . . . with overseas travel now banned due to a pandemic, perhaps the final time . . . was only three months after knee surgery. I hobble along gravel paths to the pond spread wide in front of Todaiji Temple. Sharing a welcome bench with a teenager in school uniform, I wait. A
willow fronds dipping in green shallows . . . you arrive with an apology as always too late A
In response to an invitation from my artist friend, I’ve come to the gallery that is hosting an exhibition of her work. Not a fan of her particular style, that is too abstract for my taste, I am already regretting my gesture of support. What will I find to say to that inside, and how quickly can I make my escape? Yet, as I navigate my way through shoals of aficionados, it’s easy to sail along on a raft of social platitudes. J
voices fading behind me in the night air a soft breeze sends clouds wafting across the face of the moon J
About the Authors
Amelia Fielden is Australian. She is a professional Japanese translator and a keen writer of traditional Japanese forms of poetry in English. Her most recent collection is These Purple Years (Ginninderra Press, 2018)
Jan Foster lives in Geelong, on Australia’s southern coastline. She loves to write tanka, tanka prose, haiku, haibun as well as responsive sequences with friends.