A Spirit of a Warrior

Keiichi Ueba, my grandfather

To my mother, he was a brave soldier who believed in his virtues

To my grandmother, he was someone who gave her courage

To my uncle, he was a tough father who taught him how to become strong

To me, he is a kind and loving warrior

My grandfather would always say:

“I was born in a basement

During the Second World War

In the midst of bombs being dropped

I came to life, as Tokyo approached its death.”

My grandfather would always remark:

“I picked up a pen one day

In hopes to discover something new

From there, my journey abroad started

And I became a newspaper writer.”

My grandfather would always recite:

“As swift as wind

As gentle as forest

As fierce as fire

As unshakable as mountain.”

To my brother, he is a gruff, old man, yet one who has a lot of wisdom

To my cousins, he is a funny grandfather

To my father, he is the father he never had

To me, he is a kind and loving warrior

Keiichi Ueba, my grandfather

Kei Obata