I, Toshiko Honda, was born in Japan in 1939. After graduating Aoyama Junior College, I had worked for Japan Airlines as a stewardess for five years. At the age of 27, I started to attend Santa Monica City College, from where I transfered to California State University of Los Angeles, where I encountered my destiny, Dr. Schneider, a professor of Psychology who also happened to be Psychological Therapist, to whom I devoted the deepest adoration for his authentic intellectual capacity as well as genuine personal qualities. I experienced a “rebirth” with him in his class. Besides, I fell in love with him so madly. I pressed him incessantly, “Love me or reject me.” His reply was consistent, “No. I don’t reject you. But, what you want is different from what I want. I just want to talk with you once in a while to see how you are doing.” Against my will, I had to restrain my love as a Platonic one so painfully. Being unable to obtain what I want, yet unable to get involved with any other man, I have suffered a lot from pain and loneliness for a long period of time. To survive, I gradually incorporated the personality qualities which I wanted from him into myself. Then, I gradually began to face the world on my own. Today, if I have any value, virtue, philosophy, personality and confidence, I am deeply indebted to Dr. Schneider. Meantime, I obtained a BA in Psychology from Cal State LA in 1972 and a MA in Social Psychology from Cal State Northridge in 1976. After working as a bilingual social worker for several years, I went into the field of Real Estate Investments. Now, I have been working with Fred Sands Realtors as a Real Estate Salesperson for over seven years.
I began to write poems when I was about eight years old. Many of them just disappeared like old clothes or childhood books. The poems in this collection were the ones which I happened to keep until now. The earliest poem coincided with the time when I shed my virginity. Since then, most of my poems are romantic love poems. Unintendedly this collection can symbolize the history of my loves. Some I wrote in Japanese and then I translated into English. Some I wrote in English, then translated into Japanese. I have two cultures in me. I wanted to have my poems read by both of my peoples, with the American mentality as well as the Japanese mentality.
I have often contemplated the publication of a collection of my poems. This time, I finally made it, I am glad. This is one of a few projects I want to accomplish before my menstruation will be over. I hope this is the good start of accomplishing all of my projects one after another all in due time.