The Sound of the Cicadas

投稿日時 : 2010/08/27  職員 

The sound of the cicadas, like a violent siren, chirp-chirp-chirping and rat-rat-rattling at all times pierce through my walls, my windows and my ears. Not only an assault on the ears, their presence when seen terrorize my eyes, makes my skin crawl, and my soul shudder. They are not the most beautiful of creatures, and not something I would want back in Canada. The sound of the cicadas makes me think I am camping in a forest, even though I am inside my apartment. I sometimes wonder if they ever get tired, making all that noise, at all hours of the day and night. I wish they would go to bed and dream, good dreams, and then perhaps I could have a rest from the nightmare that is the sound of the cicadas chirp-chirp-chirping and rat-rat-rattling. I remember someone told me that a certain cicada’s sound signals the end of summer.  But for now, the sound of the cicadas lets me know that I am in Japan and that constant reminder, for now, is a very good thing. Perhaps soon I will no longer refer to it as the sound but rather the singing of the cicadas; because I love the country of Japan and living here means learning to live with the chirp-chirp-chirping and rat-rat-rattling sound of the cicadas.
 
By Matthew Chimko, Moka Girls High School ALT