top of page
Celia Jenkins

NaPoWriMo 2024 - Day 2

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


14 views0 comments

Comments


bottom of page