There are people who look back before leaving a shrine

When leaving a shrine,

there are people who look back
just one more time.

After passing through the torii gate.

It is not because they forgot something.

It is not because someone called them.

Even so,
for some reason, they look back.

It is a mysterious thing.

The visit is over.

They have made their prayers.

Even though they should just be heading home,

they want to see it
one last time.

Since long ago,

shrines have been
more than just places to convey wishes;

they were places of boundaries.

The boundary between the everyday
and the place that is not.

Perhaps that is why people

look back
when they return.

Not to confirm something,

but surely
to keep the fact that they were there

within themselves.

At a shrine,

there are things you can take home
and things you cannot.

The air.

The silence.

The light.

The wind.

These things
do not remain in your hands.

That is why people

look back at the end.

As if to burn it into their eyes.

And then they go home.