Nagoro: Valley of dolls

I didnt have much to do so I planted seeds

but none of them sprouted

I thought we needed a scarecrow

so I made one after my dead father

When I make dolls of dead people

the dolls are like my children

Facial expressions: the hardest part,

lips difficult I pull mouth strings

and they smile

I only think about the dolls

They scare some people

because they look so real

In the elements they don't live

as long as humans

I have a doll based on myself

She watches the pot and fire

She's taking a nap now

I don't think about death

I'll probably live forever

*A found poem based on the documentary short Valley of Dolls by Fritz SchumannValley of Dolls

Dolls take the place of former residents in a Japanese town left empty by an ageing population

Fritz Schumann