Japan tsunami – in memoriam

It’s hard to believe it’s been 10 years since the cataclysmic earthquake and tsunami struck Japan on March 11th 2011 claiming the lives of 18,500 people.

Here are some incredible before and after shots capturing the devastation and the rebuilding that’s gone on in the past decade.

At the time, all I could do was write a poem as I, like billions around the globe, bore witness to the calamitous event unfolding before us.

I felt impotent. I tried to sell prints of my poem for $1 online to raise funds, to no avail.

I wished I was something useful like a doctor or a nurse, or a rescue worker that could do something practical to help.

Then I thought of all the creative people I had encountered during my long career as an art director in the advertising industry and I asked them for help. The response was phenomenal. I got donations of works of art from all over the world to be put into an auction to raise money for the Red Cross who were working on the ground over there.

Less than a month later, we held the Japan Art Auction at Jonathan Oakes photography studio in Manchester, hosted by The Smiths drummer Mike Joyce. It was an incredible success and, thanks to a great many people, we raised quite a few grand.

A lot has changed in 10 years. As you can see by the photos in The Guardian link above.

Things have changed for me too. I am now a Nursing Assistant at Stepping Hill Hospital in Stockport.

And, whilst my poem did not raise a single dollar, it did inspire Austrian composer Albors Pascal Askari to write this hauntingly beautiful piece of music. All the proceeds from which also went to the Japan relief effort.

And, unbeknownst to me, my poem was on the English curriculum at several schools in London for a couple of years.

Who says poetry can’t make a difference?

Japan, In Memoriam.

On March 11th it will be exactly one year since almost 20,000 people lost their lives in the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

To mark this anniversary, composer Albors Askari, is releasing a single to commemorate the disaster. With all the proceeds going to an Austrian charity called Helft Japan who are raising money for a children’s dance group in a town in the Miyagi prefecture near Onagawa.

You may or may not recall that the piece he composed, entitled “Onagawa”, (after the nuclear power plant), was inspired by my poem: Tsunami – A poem for Japan.

It’s an absolutely stunningly haunting piece of music which I urge you to buy a copy of on Amazon. (It will also be available on iTunes and Spotify.)

It’s officially being released on the 11th, but I’m sure you can pre-order. It’s all for a good cause! What’s more, you get to read my poem which is on the cover artwork!

http://www.alborspascalaskari.com/

iTunes

Amazon

Onagawa by Albors Askari, poem by David Milligan-Croft

Albors Askari

Albors Askari

Albors Pascal Askari has composed a piece of music to accompany the poem I wrote for the victims of the Japan Tsunami.

Personally, I think it is stunning. To me, it is reminiscent of Michael Nyman with a bit of Erik Satie thrown in for good measure. You might even say there’s a teeny bit of Penguin Cafe Orchestra in there too.

It’s very evocative and melancholy.

The piece is called Onagawa, (after the nuclear power plant), and you can listen to it here on Soundcloud.

If it tickles your fancy you might want to listen to the rest of his ‘work-in-progress’ album here.

Albors hails from Vienna, Austria and comes across as a very humble man so it would be good if you could ‘Share’ his work, or ‘like’ it if you have the time. And maybe, when the album is released, (he mentioned October time), you might even buy a copy. I know I will.

As some of you may recall, the poem was the catalyst for the Japan Art Auction which went on to raise just over £5k for the British Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal.

Here is the poem in a couple of guises. (Just click on them if you want to enlarge them or scroll down to read it on the post.)

Tsunami - A poem for Japan, by David Milligan-Croft

Tsunami - A poem for Japan, by David Milligan-Croft

Tsunami –
A poem for Japan
by David Milligan-Croft

The world cracked
And up you rose
From the Ring of Fire
On a day when the gods were too busy.

You rode ashore,
Like 40,000 apocalyptic horsemen,
Not pausing for houses, for cars,
For people, for breath.

Dragging their kicks and screams
Through concrete and timber and twisted steel,
Splintering bones
Like cherry blossom twigs.

Until they were silent.
And the world was silent.

Then you slithered away
On the belly of the night,
Lapping the shore whilst
Licking your greedy fingers.

And after you are satiated,
And we have un-buried our dead,
We will climb up out of the mud,
And the sun will rise again.