Awake

This song was written for the people of Watari
who carried the deep wounds of March 11th,
yet continued to face forward with quiet, unwavering strength.
I hoped it could offer even a gentle hand on your back,
a small breeze of comfort for the heart.

The words I heard from the people there,
each story, each memory,
felt like tiny lights flickering within me.
Following those lights, the lyrics slowly took form.

I can't pretend to fully understand the pain you lived through.
But as someone simply trying to live this life,
I was profoundly moved
inspired by the way you've endured that day
and still found the courage to stand in the present.

I wrote this song imagining waves being crossed,
imagining a ''promised place'' where we meet again,
smiling on a stage we once only dreamed about.

And though it began with Watari,
this song reaches beyond one town,
beyond borders and oceans
to anyone, anywhere, who needs the strength
to take another step forward.

I hope it rests beside you like a quiet prayer.
I hope it becomes an anthem
for everyone who keeps choosing to move ahead,
even when the road is difficult.