Coming Together
During a Global Pandemic

TUSCALOOSA SISTER CITIES INTERNATIONAL NARASHINO, JAPANHAIKU PROJECTOUR SINCERE THANKS TO:
Laura Lineberry
Cover and Booklet Design
Yukiko Gilbert
Foreword translation, English to Japanese
Dr. Laurie Arizumi and Dr. Koji Arizumi
Haiku Translation, Japanese to English

TUSCALOOSA SISTER CITIES INTERNATIONAL NARASHINO, JAPANHAIKU PROJECT

Coming Together
During a Global Pandemic

1

Coming Together
During a Global Pandemic

2020 has been a year of challenges, great and small, of hardships,frustrations, loss; but it has also been a year of hope. As news
and cases Covid-19 spread across the world this year, it was also
a time of great courage, life-saving scientific breakthroughs, andcountless acts of heroism, impacting communities around theglobe.
Tuscaloosa Sister Cities International, and Narashino, Japanjoined forces this year to create the haiku project, “ComingTogether During a Global Pandemic”, to inspire poets to describe
their thoughts, observations, and opinions about this worldwidestory, as it continues to unfold.
Traditional haiku are typically 17-syllables; In Japanese, haikuare traditionally printed in a single vertical line, while haiku in
English often appear in three lines, formatted in a three line, 5-7-5syllable structure. This collection appears in the three line format.
We hope you will enjoy these haiku from friends aroundthe world, and be inspired to “Come Together”, after thesechallenging times end, and brighter days draw near.
Lisa Keyes, Executive Director
Tuscaloosa Sister Cities International2

タスカルーサ市 – 習志野市
俳句プロジェクト
「コロナの世界的大流行の真っ只中で一体となろう」
2020年は、大小を問わず、苦難の状況から生まれる挫折感、喪失感により、辛く苦しい年となりました。しかし、それはまた希望という未来を見出していく年でもありました。世界中に拡大するコロナウイルスの感染、そのニュースが飛び交う中、人々の前向きな勇気ある行動、そして生命を救うための科学的新発見など多くの出来事が世界中のコミュニティーにインパクトを与えてきました。
そのような中、タスカルーサ姉妹都市協会と習志野市
は交流事業の一環として、「コロナウイルスが大流行する中、皆が一体となろう」をテーマに昨今の新型コ
ロナウイルスの状況に対する各自の思いを詠んだ俳句を募集する「俳句プロジェクト」を立ち上げました。
辛い時期が終わった後も一体となり、より明るい日々が来ることを願いつつ、世界の友からの俳句を楽しんでいただければ幸いです。

3

We will meet on Zoom
We do work in pajamas
I miss human touch
Andy Paxton, Tuscaloosa
In March, the world changed
Can’t see my friends, all alone,
Need to drink a beer.
Greg Madrid, Tuscaloosa

CicadasPassing songs from tree to tree
A twilight choir
Rose Marie Stutts, Tuscaloosa

dawn whispers hello
I linger with my coffee
fear is still sleeping
Sandie Vaisnoras,
Burr Ridge, Illinois

masked strangers glide bysuperheroes who keep us
safe from Corona
Bridget Magee,
Hünenberg See, Switzerland

Although we are far
Our time together treasured
Bonds our hearts forever
Kelley Green, Tuscaloosa

following guidelines
no human embrace since Marchalone together
Bridget Magee,
Hünenberg See, Switzerland

At the zoo
Laughing through masks
As we feed the giraffes
Rose Marie Stutts, Tuscaloosa

home-officing witha five-year-old and the fridge
the struggle is real
Bridget Magee,
Hünenberg See, Switzerland

4

Smiles behind cloths
Caring for community
Voting to save lives
Sarah Baratta,
University of Alabama
Struggling to survive
Do your lives have more value?
Please social distanceSarah Baratta,
University of Alabama

Only our eyes speak.
Words tangle behind our masks.
But still our hearts sing.
Teresa Owens Smith,
Chicago, Illinois

Foggy mind, hazed gaze
My body aches with covid
I shall stay in bed
Katherine Cheng,
University of Alabamamasks onit’s hard to hear you without
seeing your lips
Mary Sella, Tuscaloosa

It’s weird, to not taste
All that’s left is sensation
Because of covid
Katherine Cheng,
University of Alabama

the checkout line
a little boy smiles at mewith his eyes
Mary Sella, Tuscaloosa

The walls of my room
Confine me for all these months
Feels like a prison
Katherine Cheng,
University of Alabama

outdoor worshipmasks on, keeping our distancea chorus of birds
Mary Sella, Tuscaloosa

5COVID-19 floor
the nurses celebrate herninety-third birthday
Mary Sella, Tuscaloosa
pandemicstatistics show a spikein online dating
Mary Sella, Tuscaloosa

I don’t see my friend
I miss seeing all my friends
I miss my best friend
Taliah Wilder, Tuscaloosa

I’m cleaning the house
To make sure there are no germs
The house is clean again
Aakilyah Black, Tuscaloosa

Masks covering smiles
How do we see happiness?
Look for crinkly eyes
Helen Kampion,
Wayland, Massachusetts

I miss seeing Dad
I can’t see him because
Coronavirus
Ja’Kiyah Cobbs, Tuscaloosa

Our selfish world changed
Neighbors now helping neighbors
Some good comes from bad?
Helen Kampion,Wayland, Massachusetts

Can’t go anywhere
I miss my friends very much
I wish this was gone
Kinley Presley, Tuscaloosa

Dressing to go out
Make-up, hair, outfit, jewelry
One last thing...a mask!
Helen Kampion,
Wayland, Massachusetts

6

Masks in rainbow hues
Show individual style:
Fashion on faces
Joannie Duris,
Hubbardston, Massachusetts
Social distance? Nope.
Seeking comfort, snuggled close
Cats purring on laps
Joannie Duris,
Hubbardston, Massachusetts

They sacrificed all,
Building a more just country,
Passing the baton.
Dr. Pam Foster, Tuscaloosa
Note: A haiku in memory ofCongressman John Lewis andReverend CT Vivian

Pandemic wildlife
Strut fur and feathers down streets
Live entertainment
Joannie Duris,
Hubbardston, Massachusetts

Separated Now
Pandemic summer of woe
Friends offer solace
Scotty Colson,
Birmingham, Alabama

black crow on white snow
a turning in November –nature’s negative
Linda Baie, Denver, Colorado

death stares out at us
from our television news—yet spring still blossoms
Lamon Brown,Birmingham, Alabama

7

My gym is shut down.
For exercise I’m walking
fast to Krispy Kreme.
Linda T. Roberson,
Birmingham, Alabama
Day in and day out
Sitting at home by myself
Keeping the world safe
Michael Perry,Birmingham, Alabama

Friendship means the world
In good times and in bad times
We lift each other up
Blake Pritchet,
Birmingham, Alabama

The virus destroys
But we will overcome all
Only together
Spike Burt, Birmingham, Alabama

Haikus are easy
But sometimes they don’t make sense
RefrigeratorShannon Henderson,Birmingham, Alabama

Covid pandemic
A lot of time to crochet
Five finished blankets
Joan Kammer,Birmingham, Alabama

Apart together
We chart an uncertain course
The map is within
Hunter C. Hughes,Birmingham, Alabama
Masks are the new normal
Maybe even after virus
I’m ok with that
Wendy Steele, Birmingham, Alabama8

渡部 一之Kazuyuki Watanabe
花柄のマスクを供にコンサート

三代川 玲子Reiko Miyokawa

Together with myFlower-patterned mask
Concertアラバマに続く秋晴れ
コロナ去れ

罪多き
コロナも生き物
天高し

In Alabama
Fine autumn weather continues
Corona go away

It’s such a sin
Corona is also a living thing
The sky reaches heavenward

友好の絆は消えず
秋の虹

コロナ禍も猛暑もそうは続くまい

Our friendshipWill never cease
Fall rainbow

Neither Corona virus
Nor scorching hot days
Will continue long

手をとりて笑む日を願う
天の川
Hand in hand
Wishing for the day to smile again
Milky Way9秋山 勝
Masaru Akiyama
周り見てグッと抑える
咳クシャミ

宮下 晴男
Haruo Miyashita

Looking all around
Trying hard to suppress
Coughing and sneezing

コロナ禍にマスク分け合ふ
世界かな

羽ばたきも忘れて久し
カゴの鳥

Corona virus
Meting out and sharing masks This is our world now

Spread your wings a bit
Forget for awhile that you’reA bird in a cage

人混みをさけて散策
夕桜

なかよしの笑顔がみえぬ立ち話

Avoiding the crowds
While strolling round and about
Cherry blossom eve

Even among friends
None sees a smile, as they areStanding and chatting

血の型は人類共通
今日の月
Blood type
Common to all human kind
Today’s moon

10

絵留
Eru
コロナ禍を
祓う微笑み
若棋聖

白雪姫
Shirayukihime

Corona disaster
Purify it with a smile
Young shogi Kisei Champion

コロナ禍に負けるな勝てと虫の声

Note: In July 2020, 17-year-old Sota Fujii
became the youngest shogi (Japanese chess)player ever to win the Kisei champion
title in Japan

Corona virus!
We will not lose, we will win!
The sound of [autumn] insects「友は無事」
ささやくように虹かかるコロナ禍の終息願う
望月夜“Your friend is OK”
It’s like a whispered arrival
When a rainbow appears

Corona virus
Wishing it to end on a
Harvest Moon night

それぞれの生き方ありて
月見かな
Each one of us
Has their own way of living
Moon viewing time11

小林 清華Seika Kobayashi
オンライン
診療頼る
流行（はやり）風邪

小林 良枝
Yoshie Kobayashi

Relying on an online
Medical diagnosis
Flu is all the rage

制服とマスクで我が子見つからず

コロナ禍の永き家居や小鳥来る

Student uniforms
And all in masks, I can’t see
Which child is mineCorona disasterA lengthy stay at home
Songbirds come to visit

リモートで世界の友と温め酒

コロナ禍に中止となりぬ秋祭

Remotely,With friends all over the worldWarm rice wine

Corona disasterBrings to a halt
Fall festivals

マスクしていても温顔
変わりなくEven wearing a mask
Your warm, kind face
Never changes

12

修桜子
Syuosi
風花 紫苑
Kazahana Shion

マスク下げ香り吸い込む
金木犀

晩秋や感染予防
全世界

Pulling down my mask
Inhaling the aroma
Osmanthus flowers

Late Autumn
Preventing infection
All over the world

秋の夜
手酌で乾杯
バーチャル飲み会

コロナ禍や家族団らん
秋の宵Autumn evening
Saying “Cheers” to myself
Virtual drinking party

The Corona disasterAll the family seated aroundOn a Fall evening

いつか見ゆ
マスクの内なる君のほほえみ

クロたん
KurotanSomeday I will see
What’s inside of your mask
Your smile

不意の客
マスク探して大慌て

煎茶SenchaUnexpected guest
Searching around for a mask
My panic attack

友との宴
延ばし夜通し文かわす
Feasting with friends
Continues the whole night
Exchanging texts13

佐藤 ポチSato Pochi
はためくよ
コロナは知らぬ鯉のぼり

沼澤 武志
Takeshi Numasawa

Fluttering in the windCorona does not know
Koi nobori (carp streamers)

マスクして不安が街を歩いてる

祭りなし
コロナコロナで夏の果て

Wearing a mask
All around the town, anxiety
Goes walking

Without any festivals
Just Corona and Corona…
The end of summer

テレワーク
一月振りの顔合わせ

立葵
すくっとのびるよ
青空にTelework
For the first time in a monthFace to face

Hollyhocks
Swiftly stretching, reaching out
Into the blue sky

友達と楽しむ時もウィズコロナ
Friends andFun times tooWith Corona14

小山 由美子
Yumiko Koyama

Naoki Torikai
鳥飼 尚輝

会えないと会いたい気持ち募ってくコロナ禍に纏う（まとう）マスクと半袖とWhen I cannot see youI get the feeling I want
to see you moreIn the Corona disaster
Wearing a mask along withShort sleeves

いつかまた交流夢見て踏んばろう

アマビエの看板駅の人集り（ひとだかり）

Someday again
Yearning to interact
Let’s hold out

An Amabie on theBillboard at the train station
Crowds of people gather
Note: The Amabie is a legendary sea monster
from mid-nineteenth century folklore. It looks
like a fish with three tailfins, a bird’s beak,and long flowing hair. The Amabie is now
very popular in Japan, and drawings of it
are used like a good-luck charm to eradicate
Corona virus.

離れても心はいつもすぐそばに
Even far away
My heart is always
Right next to yours

外出自粛
マスク外してかき氷
Voluntarily not going out
Taking off my mask
Snow cone15

Comfortable living in
The town of literary artists
Corona territory

渡部 優
Masaru Watabe
ならしのも
はるにはきっとたすかるさ

コロナきた
アジサイの街
すごもりす

Narashino city too
Most certainly by Spring
We will survive

Corona has come toThe avenues of hydrangea
We stay in our nests

Note: The Japanese word tasukarusa “to be helped; save; survive”
is a pun for Tuscaloosa

四季めぐる
アカシア並木コロナ舞う

ままならぬ、なすがままのママ
Mamanaranu, nasugamamanomama

Seasons turnRows of acacia trees
Corona dances

あいたいよ
げんきなかおがみたいんだ
I want to meet up with you!
Your cheerful face
I really want to see it

真鍋 元禄
Genroku Manabe
暫くはマスク外して梅の宿

八回転居
Hakkaitenkyo

For a moment
Taking off my mask
Ume no Yado (a brand of plum wineor sake)

住みやすさ
文芸の街
コロナ圏

16

好きだから少し離れて
聖五月

コロナ禍と台風禍来て楽しまず

Because I like you
I will stay apart for awhile
Holy May

Corona disaster has comeTyphoon disaster has comeJoy is gone

コロナ禍にあの経験が敗戦日

ウイルスと戦う術はマスクかな

The Corona disaster isThat same experience:
The Day of Defeat

To fight the virus
Our strategy
Is the mask

伊藤 寛
Hiroshi Itou
連日のテレビはコロナ
桔梗咲くChildrens Category
こやま とよひと (4歳)
Toyohito Koyama (age 4)

Every day’sTelevision is Corona
The balloon flower blossoms

じいじばあばおげんきですかまたあそぼうねGrandpa, grandma
Are you well?
Let’s play again, OK?

17