IGCSE World literature

The Sound of Waves Empathic Writing

The Prayer

At the sound of those words my spirits became pitch-black.

I recall standing still, my toes digging into the dry sand. It was itchier and knotty than usual and I had

never felt such minimal pain, yet it was so noticeable. I sunk deep into my thoughts, my eyes zoned

out into the sky, watching the clouds passing by. I wanted to think, remember and reminisce about

my times with her and why she would marry someone that wasn’t me, but I couldn’t. My mind was

clear, spotless, blank. I couldn’t bring myself to move on, but I had to. So building up the courage I

imagine a soldier would have going into battle, my feet emerged from the sand and started racing.

Racing everywhere and anywhere. Racing away from the beach, away from the water, into the

unknown. I was still deep in thought and blocked out my surroundings whilst my legs took me where

they wanted to go. I remember hearing some fishermen cry out to me to come back, but I couldn’t.

As I ran higher up the mountain and further from civilisation, I started to emerge from my darkness. I

noticed the pace at which I was going and made myself slow down, although I was still following my

legs. They were my compass. After what felt like hours of jogging, I realised where I was being taken.

I noticed the steps and the beautiful trees surrounding them. I caught a glimpse of the gate and the

stone temple-dogs. Noticing this heavenly place, I put everything behind me, Hatsue, my mother, my

brother, my work, Yasuo, my fatigue… everything and started climbing up the steps to paradise. In

this moment all I could think of was myself. For the first time in forever, I put myself above all things.

It was refreshing and yet I detested it. I wasn’t used to thinking about my needs and thoughts,

wasn’t used to thinking about what I wanted and what was good for me.
The walk was refreshing and didn’t take as long as it usually did. With only ten steps to go, I slowed

down, just to admire the beauty of my surroundings. It was divine. The clouds were cluttered and

fluffy along the endlessly blue sky. It all seemed so perfect, like a painting by Yokoyama Taikan. At

the very top of the steps, I passed the stone dogs, huge and rusted. I walked through the gate with

the torri pines and their dull green needles slowly gaining their colour back as the weather changed.

I entered the shrine, a shrine dedicated to a god I could relate to - a fisherman who loved the sea. I

walked to the end of the shrine, to the very far wall, the honden , towards the end of the cliff, facing

the Gulf of Ise and it’s beautiful waters. I couldn’t see these views, but I could imagine them. I grew

up sitting on the edge of this cliff and staring off into the distance of the sea, thinking about how I

would one day sail off to somewhere new, somewhere unknown. This dream was still a part of me

and I worked every day to fulfil it.

As I moved deeper into the shrine, I noticed the mirrors facing me, following my every move. I could

see myself all around. I examined them one by one. Out of all the times I’ve been here, I’ve never

paid much attention to the mirrors. I remember observing the mirror with detail, it had two koi fish,

swimming in a circle around a pond as representations of yin and yang. They were surrounded by

magnificent Shiso leaves, more beautiful than I could ever imagine. The mirror gave me peace, it

brought a feeling of selflessness and clarity to my mind. I stayed fixed on the mirror for a long time

before continuing my absorption into the world of the gods.

I tossed a ten yen coin into the offertory chest, I fellto my knees on an Inori mat, bowed once, took a

breath as all my thoughts slowly came back to me. I bowed a second time, letting my skin feel the

soft wind creep into the shrine. I clapped my hands twice to summon Watatsumi-no- Mikoto and to

let him know that I was going to start a prayer with respect, I bowed one last time before I began to

whisper my wishes to the gods of Uta-Jima.

“God, I give you thanks for everything surrounding me. Your precious gift of water that inspires us,

blesses us, and sustains all life on earth. I give you thanks for the community I have grown up with
and for the individuals that are in it, protect my neighbours, my family and all living beings.” I took in

a deep breath before letting go of my personal prayers, hoping that a god might still consider it no

matter how selfish it might seem. “Let me be a man with surpassing skill in everything… let me

become a successful fisherman, known to travel the world and accomplish many great things, let me

make my family proud and let them live a wealthy and healthy life…. Let me start my own family,

with a loving wife and successful children. A beautiful wife with a kind heart… someone like Uncle

Miyatas daughter….”

I stepped out of the realm I had entered when my eyes were shut. I was back in the present of that

day. The wind came blowing through my hair, fresher than ever before. It was soft, gentle, like the

touch of a loved one, perhaps it was the god accepting my prayer. Finally the feeling of loss was

gone, and the feeling of purity came back to me. Stepping out of the shrine, the sound of the waves

and of the sea called me, it awaited my presence. I had to get back to work, do what I was made to

do.

Word count: 1002