Patna, August 6:
Hiroshima Day was observed in Patna as International Anti Imperialist Day. A well decorated march against imperialism was taken out from Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chowk and went up to J. P. Golamber. The march conversed here as a meeting which was addressed by Prof. O. P. Jaiswal, Retd. Professor of Patna University, Prof. Nawal Kishore Chaudhary, Deptt. of Economics, Patna University, Dr. Shakeel, Eminent Doctor and Arun Kumar Singh, Secretary, All India Anti Imperialist Forum, Bihar Chapter. Those who participated in the march were among Prof. Purnendu Mukherjee, Retd. Professor of Patna University, Pushparaj, writer of Nandigram Diary, Mona Jha, Theater artist and Akshay Kumar, social activist.
August 4, 2015
ReplyDeleteWho remembers Hiroshima?
An 82-year-old American writer and poet, for one, will remember Hiroshima with his award-winning poem of that name. The poet, Sherwood Ross, of Miami, Florida, says his poem about Hiroshima is now on more than 40 Internet sites around the world. Feel free to read it on August 6th. Ross can be reached at sherwoodross@gmail.com . There is no charge. (305) 205-8281
Hiroshima © by Sherwood Ross
I am the Reverend Kiyoshi Tanimoto
A graduate of Emory College, Atlanta,
Pastor of the Methodist Church of Hiroshima
I was in a western suburb when the bomb struck
Like a sheet of sunlight.
Fearing for my wife and family
I ran back into the city
Where I saw hundreds and hundreds fleeing
Every one of them hurt in some way.
The eyebrows of some were burned off
Skin hung from their faces and hands
Some were vomiting as they walked
On some naked bodies the burns had made patterns
Of the shapes of flowers transferred
From their kimonos to human skin.
Almost all had their heads bowed
Looked straight ahead, were silent
And showed no expression whatever.
Under many houses I heard trapped people screaming
Crying for help but there were none to help
And the fire was coming.
I came to a young woman holding her dead baby
Who pleaded with me to find her husband
So he could see the baby one last time.
There was nothing I could do but humor her.
By accident I ran into my own wife
Both she and our child were alive and well.
For days I carried water and food to the wounded and the dying.
I apologized to them: “Forgive me,” I said, “for not sharing your burden.”
I am the Reverend Kiyoshi Tanimoto
Pastor of the Methodist Church of Hiroshima
I was in a western suburb when the bomb struck
Like a sheet of sunlight.#
(The above is based on the book “Hiroshima” by John Hersey. The poem is on more than 40 websites globally. Sherwood Ross, a Miami-based poet, worked as a reporter for the Chicago Daily News, as a wire service correspondent for two prominent wire services, and holds an award for reporting from AFTRA. Ross is 2013 first-place winner of the Florida Poet's Association in the category of blank verse and 2014 winner of two first prizes in that competition. The above poem also won honors in the State competition last year. There is no charge for publishing this poem. Reach him at sherwoodross@gmail.com)