アオサギ
ある日、風は左から吹いて参ります。かもめ橋を渡るといつものアオサギがいるのです。ふと目をやるともう一羽いるのです。この前見た夫婦でした。潮は今から満ちようとしています。陣取りの開始だったのです。やがてこの二羽が河口の一番南を占拠し位置を確定しました。すると一羽のカモメが飛来しました。どうも出遅れたらしいのです。少し上流にカモメの一群がすでに待機しています。羽を休めているのです。羽を繕いながら潮の満ちるのを待っているのでした。その中央に一羽のアオサギです。周りに対していかにも威厳です。しかし一羽でありました。今度は白鷺が羽ばたきました。見るとこの白鷺も夫婦でした。アオサギは水と陸を支配しています。白鷺は流れの一つを支配しています。カモメの群れは中州にいます。するとアオサギの一声。その時雀たちが河岸で羽ばたきました。後ろの方で烏が鳴きました。そしてそれぞれの声が聞こえてきました。カモメたちはみんな羽を休めています。みんな南（河口）方を向いています。まだ飛んで来るカモメもいます。準備完了でしょうか。鉄橋を下り電車広島方面行きがガタンゴトンとゆっくりと発車です。風は穏やかです。工場の音が聞こえてきました。まるで小春日和です。チュンチュン雀が歌います。そして亦一番上流には白鷺が二羽いるのでした。（２００５／０９／１６ １３：４０ 二河川河口にて）その後の観察で、常に風向きを向いているのはアオサギであることが解りました。そして一羽であることの意味、夫婦であることの意味、群れをなしていることの意義も。(2005/09/20)そしてある駅のモト機関区操車場で貨物列車の貨物の入替をみていました。そして機関車の一声。青い電気機関車でした。その汽笛を合図に白赤のヂーゼル機関車が動き始めました。（０５／０９／２２）
One day, there was a soft wind blowing in from the south. Usual AOSAGI was there. The sea gulls alreday got to the land. The two AOSAGIs were husband and wife seen some days before. From now on, tide tends to be in. It was the start of an encampment. Soon, these two birds occupied a south point of the river, and decided the important position. Then, one sea gull came flying. Seemingly, it was late somewhy. A group of the sea gulls had already stayed by for the upstream for a while. Feather was rested. It was waiting for tide to be in, mending feather. There was another AOSAGI in the center of the land. It was truly dignity to the surroundings. However, it was one bird. The egrets fluttered at that time. When seen, those egrets were also husband and wife. AOSAGI was governing water and land. The egrets were governing one of the flows. The group of the sea gulls were in a sandbank in the center of the river. Then, there was a voice of AOSAGI. Sparrows fluttered behind then in the riverbank. The crows began crying. And each voice of all the birds was been heard. All of the sea gulls were still resting feather. They were all for the south. There were some sea gulls which still flew to the land. Was it the completion of preparation? Train's sound got down from an iron bridge and the direction going of the train was for Hiroshima. It departured slowly with the sound GATANGOTON from KURE STATION. The wind was quiet. The sound of a factory had been heard. It was like an Indian summer day completely. CHUNCHUN sparrows were singing. And another couple of egrets was in the upstream. (2005/09/16 13:40 at the NIKOU RIVER) By subsequent observation, it was sure that AOSAGI had always turned to the wind. And I understood the meaning of being one bird, the meaning of being husband and wife, and the meaning of making a group. (2005/09/20) And some days after I was seeing the exchange of the cargoes of a freight train in an old engine-train department classification yard of a certain station. A voice of an engine-train. It was a blue electric locomotive. Then a white and red locomotive began to move. The whistle was a signal to start. (05/09/22)
ロウソク