After the terrible events of 9/11 in the U.S., a poem titled “If I Knew” became immensely popular and started to circulate all over the world on the Internet.
Although there has been a lot of debate about who actually wrote it and when, it is generally credited to Norma Cornett Marek. She wrote it in 1989 and titled it “Tomorrow Never Comes.” Marek – who died in 2004 – called it “a tribute to a beloved child I lost, in hopes it would cause people to never be careless or too busy to let our loved ones know we love them.”
The words of the poem have struck a chord in Japan. It was translated into Japanese (最後だとわかっていたなら) and has become a best seller since the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
NHK recently carried a story on the poem and why it has been embraced by so many Japanese people. Many people interviewed by NHK said the poem has made them rethink their lives and the importance of family bonds, and in particular, not delaying things until tomorrow ... because tomorrow may never come.
Here is the poem:
IF I KNEW
If I knew it would be the last time That I'd see you fall asleep, I would tuck you in more tightly and pray the Lord, your soul to keep.
If I knew it would be the last time that I see you walk out the door, I would give you a hug and kiss and call you back for one more.
If I knew it would be the last time I'd hear your voice lifted up in praise, I would video tape each action and word, so I could play them back day after day.
If I knew it would be the last time, I could spare an extra minute to stop and say "I love you," instead of assuming you would KNOW I do.
If I knew it would be the last time I would be there to share your day, Well I'm sure you'll have so many more, so I can let just this one slip away.
For surely there's always tomorrow to make up for an oversight, and we always get a second chance to make everything just right.
There will always be another day to say "I love you," And certainly there's another chance to say our "Anything I can do?"
But just in case I might be wrong, and today is all I get, I'd like to say how much I love you and I hope we never forget.
Tomorrow is not promised to anyone, young or old alike, And today may be the last chance you get to hold your loved one tight.
So if you're waiting for tomorrow, why not do it today? For if tomorrow never comes, you'll surely regret the day,
That you didn't take that extra time for a smile, a hug, or a kiss and you were too busy to grant someone, what turned out to be their one last wish.
So hold your loved ones close today, and whisper in their ear, Tell them how much you love them and that you'll always hold them dear
Take time to say "I'm sorry," "Please forgive me," "Thank you," or "It's okay." And if tomorrow never comes, you'll have no regrets about today.
© Japan Today
5 Comments
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HumanTarget
A link to the Japanese would have been nice :(
So, is this less than a page long poem being sold as a book or something? The article isn't very specific.
LoveNot
Lovely and sad.
KOJINSARU
It just made me cry a little. This poem is very true always treat today as your last and tell your loved ones you love them.
Raymasaki
why is it titles 9/11? shouldn't it be 3/11? since its been & IF it was written in 1989 it has Nothing to do with those events. but simply someone leaving the world unexpectedly. Yes sad poem & a Good poem. but mainly about life can be taken away suddly.
BurakuminDes
Nice, moving poem - but I have to admit it is a little disappointing that christianity is brought into it. Throw out the first stanza and it would be a winner!