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In November of 1998, I joined a team of Boulderites who traveled to Yamagata, Japan, to participate in a trade fair that represented the arts, crafts and foods of Boulder, Colorado. I participated by selling landscape t-shirts and pen-and-ink greeting cards. I was hosted by two different families while in Yamagata, and then traveled on for another week by myself. This whirlwind two-week tour was an inspiring journey for me, and I sketched whenever I had a chance.
Friday, October 29, 1998 Boulder, Colorado.
flying to Tokyo
my eyes are red and bloodshot
early morning sun
landing in L.A.
sixty-three degrees with smog
I'm full of coffee
shadow of the plane
in the ocean far below
hungry for some food
selling shirts is hard
when I can't speak a word of
Japanese language
soba delights me
the other thing I just ate
was sea-urchin eggs
pillow filled with rice
deep tub filled with water
I am going to bed
where Basho once wrote
Temples of Yamadera
I draw in the sun
eight-fifteen a.m.
is when the clocks stopped working
in Hiroshima
deer stand on the path
in Miyajima Island
waiting for some food
everything is wrapped
and placed in a plastic bag
where does it all go?
climbing Mt. Misen
I mumble "konichi-wa"
to people passing by
sketching Kintaikyo
a leaf falls on my paper
people passing by
coming round the bend
finding another temple
drivers in traffic
if I try to squeeze
my banjo behind that seat
maybe they'll get by
copyright 2004 Haikutimes.com
drawing/writing/photography
jonathan machen