Tokyo (original poetry)
Tokyo
reach into the tea-stained hills
that rise into sepia shinto shrine
everything is a seamless gradient,
burnt sienna into yellow ochre -
and then the first week of April comes,
pink petals replace the dried rice found in corners of tatami mats,
stuck between teeth
and picked from under fingernail -
then the second week of April comes
and the plastic tarps laid down by
cheery-drunk hanami-goers in Ueno Park are removed
revealing the blushing disappointment of spring
neon forest fires spark the starless night
the smoke curls around the mouths of red-faced salary men
rolling out of miso bowls and into alleyways
from laughter turned insanity
there are places where toques are worn perched on top the head
and others where poodle skirts stand at attention from layers of crinoline
girls with blush worn like war paint flaunt their innocence
with bosom-covering tops
and buttocks-grazing skirts
and the crowds are merely heatwaves
inconspicuously present from metro bus
to basement izakaya
and aging Meiji temple
they practice zen meditation
beneath the roar of pachinko slots
and garish street jingles
obaasans travel on trains
school girl cliques painted grey
tartan blazers,
bell-sleeved blouses,
always taupe pantyhose
unabashedly removed at sento
rice paper skin
scrubbed, soaked, rinsed
through colander
aseptic ritual meant only for the
drunk tank pink ofuro
Tokyo,
takes me on a train into a countryside fast asleep
a world teetering on the dream of old mother wabi,
a creaking wooden mobile
hung above the cradle of cooing kami
dangles one thousand forgotten cranes
each crane wistfully swinging past those tea-stained hills,
everything is a seamless gradient
burnt sienna into yellow ochre
Zameena Zen
A rich and absorbing texture of imagery, then the touch at the end, book-ending the poem with the colors of human skin palate. I put this on repeat.
Blessings to you, thank you. I love repetition in poetry, it really sets a mood and a hypnotic sort of pacing
The imagery is great here. The references to "tobacco fingertips" and "neon forest fires" really stand out as that type of visual language that is rather difficult to capture. Well done.
Thank you so much, I really hope the impression Tokyo left on me while I lived there was translated through these words.
You paint Tokyo well. These lines:
"the smoke curls around the mouths of red-faced salary men
rolling out of miso bowls and into alleyways
from laughter turned insanity"
And these:
"obaasans travel on trains
school girl cliques painted grey
tartan blazers,
bell-sleeved blouses,
always taupe pantyhose
unabashedly removed at sento"
Where, though, are the ubiquitous smartphones with the never ending LINE games on trains?
Haha, games on trains would work perfectly except you are not allowed to have your cellphone out on Japan's transit system :-) Thank you for sharing the lines that stood out to you. I really appreciate you taking the time to read my words
I'm sorry to disagree, but 98% of the people on trains, subways and buses have their smartphones in their hands at all times. You aren't allowed to talk on your phone, but you can play games, access websites, etc. as long as it is in silent mode.
About 10 years or more ago, they tried to keep people from using their phones since some people were talking noisily on them. They loosened up the rules as long as people don't jabber on the phone. It used to be you'd see a lot of people reading newspapers and "paper" books; now the vast majority use their phones to do the same things, plus games. Since 2012, the SNS site LINE has become huge since they offer free games. TsumuTsumu (one of them) has been very popular with older women for the past three years. I don't know why, but ...
Ah, thx for clarifying! <3
I think this may be my favorite line of all time haha. Might name my album Neon Forest Fires now haha, just need to bribe you lol
Go ahead! Would be my honour ;-) *curtsies
Me right now:
Lol, the favoured dance move at any Pakistani wedding I have attended
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