Jipangu

Jipangu, the images of tracks unbeaten
recollect and sweeten
for a stay nice and short like a haiku
dear Jipangu, I wish to thank you

arigato to coastal lines, both vivid and pastel
an unframed canvas untamed by us, the farthest
where the sun rises in the east and sets in the west
I must confess the waves here look not the same
the sounds emanating always changing
with the weather, the architecture
blended with the background, a book unbound
rough on the edges like a worn blade centuries old
battle tested a thousand fold
I can see it in the eyes of the children
they still haunt me to come back, until then
I sincerely hope to do justice,
to introduce and more than reminisce
a place my heart yearns for upon return
may every year new sets of eyes learn

(chorus)

to travel is to unravel the itinerary
pick up the pieces and revel in unordinary
sceneries one after another a series of
picture story on a road show
coming to a town near you for a social gathering
villages catcher in the rice fields energies, textures
innocent smiles in fact it’s infectious
in every prefecture it’s effective
a way to communicate
break down the barrier linguistic
don’t get it twisted
straight as an arrow on a bow in case you missed it
bamboo shoots towards the gifted
gods in the heavens and gods on earth
walking amongst us as winds and the dirt
ashes to ashes and dust to dust
why my mind is awake from dawn to dusk

(chorus)

see the prints of wood blocks
gold leaves and lacquer box
gardens with sands and rocks
artisan craftsmanship
it’s the spirit of our ancestors
still living with respect to
the past and the clock is set to
the present, what’s ahead is a mystery
a unique gem in the course of a history