悪童たち

【１】春休みの悪童たち
所在なしに
わが家の塀に石を投げる
石は
古びた塀をつきぬけ硝子窓に命中する
【２】思うに
キャッとばかり飛び出してゆく私の姿を
見ようがための悪戯で
桜の木から偵察兵のちびが
するすると逃げてゆくのを目撃した
花泥棒とか実を盗むのならかわいいのだけれど

【３】ある日
とうとう一味の三人を掴えた
　　　学校名を言いなさい！　何年生？
　　　だれがしたの？
　　　あなたたちの家　どこ？
　　　あなたたちのお母さんに
　　　言わなければならないことがある！
【４】一味は頑として口を割らず
逃げた首謀者を庇っている
かれらにはかれらの掟があり
沈黙は抵抗運動の仲間のように完璧だ
私の叫びを不敵な笑いで眺められると
ぎりぎりと拷問しても
泥を吐かせたいさざなみが立ってくる

【５】アルジェリア！
腐臭が薫風にのってくる
わが青春の日に讃えたフランスの魂は∵
十数年で錆を呼んでしまったのか！
　　　おまわりさんを呼んでくる
　　　という一言をぐっと押え
　　　割られた窓を繕いに
　　　私は顔をあからめてくびすを返す

【６】次の日は戦法をかえる
塀に石の鳴る時刻
私はほんきでやさしい気持を作って出てゆく
　　　あなたたち　そうしないでね
　　　自分の家の塀にそうされたら
　　　困るでしょう
　　　硝子を割られると本当に困るのよ
【７】ガラスはもはやガラスではなく
微妙であやしげな人間の権利そのもの
顫（ふる）えだ
子供たちはウンという
【８】やさしい言葉で人を征服するのは
なんてむつかしく　しんどい仕事だろう
悪童の顔ぶれは毎日違い
私は毎日出てゆかねばならない
【９】遠視の眼鏡をずりあげながら
シャボンの泡だらけになりながら
菜切包丁を持ったりしたままで
塀ひとつむこう
夕暮などは
蚊柱のように群れている子供たちの広場へ【０】

（『茨木のり子詩集』より）

There are several places in the world that are famous for people who live a very long time. These places are usually in mountainous areas, far away from modern cities. Doctors, scientists, and public health experts often travel to these regions to solve the mystery; the experts hope to bring to the modern world the secrets of a long, healthy life.
Hunza is high in the Himalayan Mountains of Asia. There, many people over one hundred years of age are still in good physical health. Men of ninety are new fathers, and women of fifty still have babies. What are the reasons for this good health? Scientists believe that the people of Hunza have these three benefits: (1)physical work, usually in the fields or with animals; (2)a healthful environment with clean air and water; and (3)a simple diet high in vitamins but low in fat, sugar, and chemicals.
People in the Caucasus Mountains in Russia are also famous for their long life. In this area, there are surprising examples of very long-lived people. A woman called Tsurba probably lived until 160; a man called Shirali probably lived until 168. When he died, his wife was 120 years old. In general, the people not only live a long time, but they also live well. They are almost never sick, and when they die, they have not only their own teeth but also a full head of hair, and good eyesight.
Vilcabamba, Ecuador, is another area famous for the long life of its people. This region -- like Hunza and the Caucasus -- is also in high mountains, far away from cities. In Vilcabamba, too, there is very little serious sickness. One reason for the good health of the people might be the clean, beautiful environment: The climate is very mild all year long; the wind always comes from the same direction; and the region is rich in flowers, fruits, vegetables, and wildlife.
In some ways, the diets of the people living in the three regions are quite different. The people of Hunza eat mainly raw vegetables, fruit (especially apricots), and chapatis -- a kind of pancake; they eat meat only a few times a year. The Caucasian diet consists mainly of milk, cheese, vegetables, fruit, and meat; most people there drink the local red wine daily. In Vilcabamba, people eat a small amount of meat each week, but the diet consists largely of grain, corn, beans, potatoes, and fruit.
Experts found one surprising fact in the mountains of Ecuador: Most people there, even the very old, have a lot of coffee, drink large amounts of alcohol, and smoke forty to sixty cigarettes daily!
However, the diets are similar in two general ways: (1)the fruits and vegetables that the people living in the three areas eat are all natural; that is, they have no chemicals; and (2)the people get fewer calories than people do in other parts of the world. A typical North American takes in an average of 3,300 calories every day; a typical person living in these mountainous areas, between 1,700 and 2,000 calories.
Those who live in the three areas have more in common than calories, natural food, their mountains, and their distance from modern cities. Because they live in the countryside and are mostly farmers, their lives are physically hard. Thus, they do not need to go to health clubs because they get a lot of exercise in their daily work. In addition, although their lives are hard, the people do not seem to have the worries of city people. Their lives are quiet. Consequently, some experts believe that physical exercise and freedom from worry might be the two most important secrets of a long, healthy life.