Goodbye Shinjuku
Rosemary at Poets & Storytellers United would like us to write about "a city (or cities) you dream of — in whatever way." I drag a poem sitting quietly in my hard disc and dust it off...
photo of Shinjuku by dsnake1
Goodbye Shinjuku
goodbye Shinjuku
you have been a good host
though the cold rain
is another matter
and the times i have gotten lost
at your immense station.
there's a freaking town
under there i swear.
i drag my old samsonite shell
over uneven pavements
to catch a bus to Narita
and the flight home
Godzilla's head rears up
from the Toho Building
eyes glowing, nose smoking
and as the bus turns a corner
to exit for the highway
a tingle of regret
like leaving a lover
telling her a lie
after complimenting her
i am going to miss
your wet streets
your kawaii girls giving out fliers
the loud signboards
the neon on puddles
onigiri for breakfast
the hotel staff that surprises me
speaking perfect English
the cold winds
in the mornings
the 7-Elevens, Lawsons
at every street corner
the greetings
as you passed
through the norens
at the izakaya bars,
ramen shops
Goodbye Shinjuku, sayonara
you have been a great host
till we meet again.
written : Dec 2019
revised : 17/06/2023
*****************
“All cities are mad: but the madness is gallant. All cities are beautiful, but the beauty is grim.”
― Christopher Morley
© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ) 2023
Goodbye Shinjuku
goodbye Shinjuku
you have been a good host
though the cold rain
is another matter
and the times i have gotten lost
at your immense station.
there's a freaking town
under there i swear.
i drag my old samsonite shell
over uneven pavements
to catch a bus to Narita
and the flight home
Godzilla's head rears up
from the Toho Building
eyes glowing, nose smoking
and as the bus turns a corner
to exit for the highway
a tingle of regret
like leaving a lover
telling her a lie
after complimenting her
i am going to miss
your wet streets
your kawaii girls giving out fliers
the loud signboards
the neon on puddles
onigiri for breakfast
the hotel staff that surprises me
speaking perfect English
the cold winds
in the mornings
the 7-Elevens, Lawsons
at every street corner
the greetings
as you passed
through the norens
at the izakaya bars,
ramen shops
Goodbye Shinjuku, sayonara
you have been a great host
till we meet again.
written : Dec 2019
revised : 17/06/2023
*****************
“All cities are mad: but the madness is gallant. All cities are beautiful, but the beauty is grim.”
― Christopher Morley
© cheong lee san ( dsnake1 ) 2023
posted by dsnake1 at 6:11 AM
20 Comments:
Gotta love any place which would feature Godzilla like that! (The first Godzilla movie came out when my kids were young. They and their father and I saw it at the drive-in and all fell in love with dear, misunderstood, creaky-special-effects Godzilla.)
I wouldn't fancy cold rain either, but it sounds as if the friendliness made up for a lot.
Sounds like good living, but Mrs. Jim wouldn't go there, to Tokyo, Japan. We were there, sitting for an five-hour layover to China. This was the first I have heard of "Shinjuku" and I had to google it to find out if there was such a place or you made it up. If this is true, I'd like to know how long your stay there was.
..
Rosemary,
Thank you!
Yes, that Godzilla on top of that building would come alive at certain times of the day. Japan loves her Godzilla.
I was there in the autumn in Tokyo, and it rained a number of days I was there. It was chilly when the wind blows with the rain but perhaps this tropical guy is just not used to the weather. And the friendliness of the people made up a lot for it. :)
Jim,
You have to google "Shinjuku"? 😆
I was in Japan for slightly over 2 weeks, half the time in Kyoto and the other half in Tokyo. We (my family) stayed in a hotel in Shinjuku and from there visited other places in Tokyo and beyond. The picture in the post was taken in Shinjuku one early rainy morning as we were catching a bus to visit Mt. Fuji. but the trip there was a letdown, as it was raining there too, dense clouds covered the mountain and everyone was advised not to climb.
I have not had the pleasure of touring Japan ... however, I would love to. I checked Shinjuku out on Google and found it fascinating!!!
Thank you, Helen!
You will not be disappointed. :)
You must really loved that place I can see, lovely poem
This comment has been removed by the author.
Thank you, Jossina.
I guess it's more of a love/hate relationship. :)
Tokyo is such a big city, Shinjuku is just a part of it. We used it as a base to visit other places like Mt. Fuji and Sendai. We saw a bit of Tokyo but have no time left for Akihabara for my video games and toys. But yes, I would like to go back there again for a visit. :)
I really like that the poem celebrates the good and the (perhaps) not so good parts of the city. True love is like that--complicated, made of contradictory feels.
Thank you, Magaly!
Yes, if we love them, we love them warts and all. :)
It's good to go back to a place where you find belongingness.
Thank you, Vanderloost.
Yes, it is. There are many places I would like to visit again. :)
Is it a Japan city?
Sounds like a good place to re-visit.
So right.. Tokyo is a fabulous place to visit. People and food and sights were all great. It was April so we got to see the sakura too... would love to go back some day!! I just recently wrote about a temple in Kyoto that I visited!
Sara,
Thank you!
Yes, a re-visit is always on the mind. :)
Rajani,
Thank you!
Tokyo is way too big to visit in a couple of weeks. I didn't get to see the sakura, but I see the autumn leaves, which was lovely. Kyoto is fab too, but the vibes of the two cities are quite different.
Nice sketch of a city. Btw, did everyone know a scholarly book about the Godzilla movies is due out in October?
Thank you, Priscilla.
A scholarly book about the Godzilla movies? That would be interesting. :)
Was there.
Hi Anon.
a tourist? Resident?
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