What Fools These Mortals Be

Who is she?

Is she Hermia? Chased by a man she doesn't love?

Titania? Blindly giving her love to an ass?

Helena? Pining for a man who turned from her in favor of another?

All three, then, but without Oberan's secret hand guiding Puck to the flower that could set things to right. Lord, what fools these mortals be.

Maybe a Crush, Some Japanese and InuYahsa!

First, isn't this a sweet picture of InuYasha?

It's from episode 82: Gap Between the Ages. As adorable as InuYasha is, if I had a crush on anyone in this program, it would be his older brother Sesshomaru. Very swoony. Not that I'm admitting to crushing on anime characters. <.<

To be fair, I'll make Sesshomaru's picture a sleepy-time picture, too.

Now for the Japanese! Here are some more words I hear and understand thanks to InuYasha, although who knows if I'm understanding correctly:

Demo...- but...

Osuwari!- sit! (but to a dog, I think)

Shoki- miasma (this may not come in super handy in life, but still! I know it)

Dakara- That's why

Sou...- I'm not exactly sure how it translates, but it seems like "so..." and if I'm right then that's very convenient to remember!

Souka- I see

Nanda- What (but, not like "Nani?" which feels more literally like "What?" Nanda seems more like, "What is it?" I think.)

And it seems like this little "ke" sound is the way to say "huh!" in a disgruntled way. At least for InuYasha. ^_^

And gosh I'm learning a little from Human Japanese, too, hooray! I can at least introduce myself and ask where the bathroom is, and point out things with desu and ask questions with ka. And I can make simple sentences now. Here is my favorite:

Atashi wa neko desu ka?

It means, Am I a cat? It was a sample sentence from my lessons!! Except my lesson used "watashi" which is the gender-neutral way to say it. I was delighted to learn this!

Ohayou gozaimasu! Means good morning, and I find it super cheerful!

I like a lot of other words and phrases but I'm finally becoming sleepy. WHEW. I thought I'd never become tired. I have no idea if anyone will find this list useful or totally wrong, but I find language-learning pretty fascinating and fun. ^_^

Sketch: Kirara

From the anime InuYasha. I just couldn't help drawing her, she's so cute.

An Ode to a Drizzly Morning

I like this weather.

I'm standing outside my front door. The sky is gray, but the hazy burn of the sun is still visible. Drops fall, enough to make a pleasant noise, leaving the world damp. Rocks that are normally gray now look dark and glossy, like polished marble. Glassy wet. The flowers lining my walk tremble from tiny drops that fall from trees above them. I like watching beads of water slide down the curve of leaves, and the way the water hangs at their pointed tips. I'm watching one, wondering how long it'll take before it gives up and falls. And there it goes! I counted to twenty-four before it lost itself to gravity. But it fell too fast for my eyes to follow, and I didn't see where it landed. Such a pretty world.

Meow?

Watchful eyes. The twitch of a tail, but otherwise as still as stone. He blinks, a slow, decisive movement. I call to him. He doesn't move. I turn to leave and abruptly he's on his back, paws outstretched. I stroke the soft fur along his chest. His eyes close in approval. Suddenly he's on his feet and moving away from me. He regards the world with cool disdain as he steps back into his favorite spot. I turn to leave and am halted by a questioning, "Meow?" When I look, his eyes are alert and engaged. His head tilts. Want to play? I laugh and join him on the floor. He pounces. We play. But with fluid grace he turns; the game is over on his terms, for he is a cat. Again he retreats to his favorite spot. His gaze is unfathomable and unfeeling. I look into those eyes and see no remembrance that we ever played. Without a sound he leaps to the window sill. Without a backward glance, he's gone.

My Friend

I keep my silence.

Hold it.
Guard it.

You, who cannot hear me.
You, who does not even realize.

As you sit beside me
as you hold my hand.
As we laugh and talk and sing and dance.
As we take comfort in each other,
As we build the intimate moments
that will become our story
in all of this
you'll never know how desperately I need you
You'll never see my broken soul.
If you did you might leave me.
If you saw the bent
and crippled infant, with no chance of ever being made whole
you, too, might leave it on the rocks to die.

I hold you close now.
You don't see the crimson stain
of my heart's blood soaking your clothes.
You don't realize that I hold you tight
to keep you from noticing the giant wound across my heart.
Because in this
my darkest moment
when I don't know if I can make it through
you are all that's holding me together.

I need you, but you don't realize it.

I need you, but I can never let you know.

Echoes

A touch upon her soul
It withdraws with chilling conviction
but its warm imprint remains
A defiant presence in her heart
Bewildering her logic
Thwarting her reason
A creation of her own making
Of her own heart
pulsing with echoes
of a voice that has long since
fallen silent