Sanae-chan poured a ladle of water to the mouth of a boiling pot. Then, the pine wind came to a complete stop.

Noriko Morishita

Sound that keeps ringing quietly all the time in the tea room. "Pine wind." Iron pieces are pasted with lacquer on the bottom of the kettle, and when it gets boiled, the kettle intermittently sounds "shi, shi, shi" and eventually the sound becomes one like "shiiiiiii". In the midst of boiling, when you pour a ladle of water, the pine wind stops and silence descends over the room for a moment. Life with a continuous hesitation, regret and worry. The "freedom" that can rival the boiling lurks in these "a few seconds." From the essayist 's "Every Day Is A Good Day."

"January 27  2019

from “Oriori no Kotoba” by Kiyokazu Washida, The Asahi Shimbun"