Pain in Japan: Shedding

(Japanese tulip tree near my home ~ dc)

Pain in Japan

"RIKUZENTAKATA, Japan (Reuters) – In a devastated landscape of splintered homes, rotting bodies and twisted cars, an elderly man walks with stooped shoulders searching for any object that can bring back memories of his daughter.
"Her home used to be there but that is gone," the man who asked to be called by his family name Kikuchi said, pointing at a spot in the town of Rikuzentakata, leveled by the tsunami of nearly two weeks ago.
"My daughter is missing. She is gone. I was up in the hills above town and couldn't get to her in time," Kikuchi said in a steady voice.
"I am looking for something that can remind me of her. There must be something here," Kikuchi said and then resumed wandering through the mud-strewn debris in the town of broken buildings erased by a giant wall of water."

[This story touched me and I felt compelled to write a poem with a different ending. The father will find a tree he gave her years ago. Fictional, yes, however it seems likely to happen... somwehere. What terrible pain and a long time of shedding tears.]

Shedding

A tulip tree is shedding flowers ~
like shedding tears.
'Cause nature came in awesome power ~
igniting fears.

A tulip tree yielding to the wind ~
without any pain.
A father's heartache will never mend ~
his search in vain.

A tulip tree is firmly grounded ~
with roots that ache.
Her home is gone from being pounded ~
from wave and quake.

A tulip tree is what he bought her ~
a simple pleasure.
The only thing left of his daughter ~
his greatest treasure.

The tulip tree was moved to his yard ~
shedding flowers ~
like shedding tears.
He continues smiling but it's hard ~
lonely hours ~
memories dear.