Nihon Nihon (Japan Japan)
わたし の こころ は まだ にほん に あります (my heart is still in Japan)
Sweet autumn scent on the air,
Unfamiliar insects cry,
Half price supermarket sushi platter
On my birthday,
First week in Japan.
Nihon nihon.
Foreign blood temps mosquitoes
In balmy city suburb
Shinyurigaoka
the love of what is plain
and good
and simple
Said Lafcadio Hearn
Of kumamoto spirit
And by gosh
Wasn't he right?
I met two farmers
In a sushi joint,
We tentatively crept between
Two languages
And one day
They gave me the best tomato
I've ever eaten
Nihon nihon
How is it so long?
Feels like just a breeze of sakura ago
That foreign feet pounded
Fukuoka streets,
Last-night sushi
-Whatever we want-
Then we were gone
***
Prompt:
Today, we’d like to challenge you to write a platonic love poem. In other words, a poem not about a romantic partner, but some other kind of love – your love for your sister, or a friend, or even your love for a really good Chicago deep dish pizza. The poem should be written directly to the object of your affections (like a letter is written to “you”), and should describe at least three memories of you engaging with that person/thing.
A platonic love poem? Of course, Japan. わたし の こころ は まだ にほん に あります
