( 新年を迎えたが、冬草がすっかり枯れしぼむように
人の目も離れてしまった。船堀の我が家をわざわざ訪れる
人はいない ）

＊あらたまの：年にかかる枕詞
＊年はかへれど：年は改まったが
＊かれぬ：枯れぬと離（か）れぬをかける

Loneliness is one of the key words in my life but it's really
amazing that many years ago, even in a height of short period of
frenzied love, I wrote to my girl friend like this:

It's always true that life is difficult and there's so little a human
being can do about it. I know well that my problems are basically
due to my inability to live. I am not able to grow. Only way out is,
for me, to write poems even though they may be immature and
unsubstantial.

I am still writing poems-many of them are really "unsubstantial" but
I feel this is the way I must lead my life for the rest of my existence.