“It doesn’t make a damned bit of difference who wins the war to someone who’s dead.”
― Joseph Heller
“And a step backward, after making a wrong turn, is a step in the right direction.”
–Kurt Vonnegut
August 6 marks the 76th anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima, which was followed by the bombing of Nagasaki on August 9—the only time nuclear weapons have been used in war.
Between 130,000 and 230,000 people were killed, mostly civilians. Many of those who survived the bombing itself were stricken with radiation sickness and died painful and premature deaths.
The story of 12-year-old Sadako Sasaki’s attempt to make 1000 origami cranes after falling ill with leukemia turned the Japanese Crane, long a symbol of immortality, into a symbol of the wish for nuclear disarmament and world peace.
There are currently less than 1800 Japanese cranes surviving in the wild, for the usual human reasons—loss of habitat and food sources, pollution and poisioning, poaching, disease.
And so it goes…
burning floods
birds singing silent
ash and bones
For Frank’s haibun prompt at dVerse, August. I’ve written about this in August and used these images several times before.
This is our cry.
This is our prayer.
Peace in the world.
–inscription on the Children’s Peace Monument in Hiroshima
http://www.nippon.com/en/images/k00009/
Sadako Sasaki was a toddler living in Hiroshima when it was bombed by the United States. Ten years later she died as a result of leukemia, “the atomic bomb disease.” If you don’t know the story of Sadako and the 1000 Cranes, you can read about it here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadako_and_the_Thousand_Paper_Cranes
K. 
A poignant reminder of what we do to ourselves and our world.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Alethea.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very lovely pictures, Kerfe. I read a write up about the day the bomb fell on Hiroshima and it was just to awful for words.
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is. Something not easily forgotten.
LikeLike
Somber mementoes of war.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We should not forget.
LikeLike
a wonderful tribute and as Bev says ‘somber mementos’ … this should never happen again! Yet we are on the brink of war with china and iran, they have to sell those weapons and their children will never die of them 😦
LikeLike
Poignant, and important–yes, “somber mementos.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks Merril.
LikeLiked by 2 people
You’re welcome!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Chilling…
I’d heard of the project, but knew almost nothing about the details… thank you for sharing, Kerfe. BTW, are those red cranes the only part of the artwork that is 3D?
❤
David
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ever since I read John Hersey’s book in high school I’ve been unable to forget what happened.
Yes, the cranes are origami and I just placed them on top of the collage to photo it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for this, K. We must never forget, that we may never repeat. Poignant and full of pathos. We all bow our heads together.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thanks Frank. No, forgetting history is fatal.
LikeLiked by 2 people