Tonight is tonight in Hiroshima

I had dinner one night in Hiroshima
Sensei recommended it to me on a bus
The swish of wind when I stepped in
The clang of soft bells reminding me
of my miles-away American home.

Menus full of Japanese. Those beautiful
letters intermingled with Spanish. Did
the man who had waited us also cook
the food for my table and for one the
only other table that he owned?

Because the food was so good I didn't
know. As my mouth moved in rhythm
with the daily news, my eyes walked a
quick jaunt up and down printed paper,
Jazz night for old starving artists.

Which made me quietly smile with
the joy that a music, a lifestyle, a cuisine
in a country, were all so different. Yet
could harmoniously play their false
swansong, even if only tonight, here as

Tonight is tonight in Hiroshima


Note: As always, a bit bizarre/experimental. I thought it might be interesting to write a bit about a recent trip to Japan, and Hiroshima was the most beautiful city in terms of greenery that I saw (more so than Kyoto or Tokyo). My intent was to convey the beautiful absurdity of how a mexican bar restaurant with jazz performances could be in Hiroshima. Going to it was quite the interesting experience.