Monday poem - Ode to a Japanese holiday

Ode to a Japanese Holiday

I thought I’d vacation in a far-away nation
For adventure and some learning.
So I put my pack upon my back
To satisfy my yearning.

I’d heard Tokyo was the place to go
For my idea of fun.
Thus, some yen I spent and off I went
To the Land of the Rising Sun.

There were others too who believed this true
So off to Japan they’d jet.
We gathered the bunch at a “bento box” lunch
And were friends as soon as we’d met.

Luke, our guide who stuck by our side,
Was just a delightful fellow.
He was in the know and very thorough,
Quite jovial and mellow.

We saw every shrine, drank săkē wine,
And with most meals we ate rice.
We felt genuinely pleased that the Japanese
Were so absolutely nice.

I thought, “I have gotta wear my yukata
To stroll around the streets.”
But ‘twas hard to find “geta” of the kind
To fit my sumo-wrestler feet.

We rented bikes and braved a hike
Up Fuji-san one morning.
Yes, we were told that it’d be tough and cold.
Indeed it was fair warning.

We rode high-speed trains and dodged some rain,
But on our faces there were smiles.
For we all knew that we’d see and do
New things every few miles.

And so I say that this holiday
Is “ichiban” on my list.
I’ll make a plan to re-see Japan
To catch those things I missed.

What an education was this vacation!
Such that when next year is done,
I have no doubt that I’ll be back out
To the Land of the Rising Sun!

See this wonderful country on "Empire of the Sun" - an excellent way to get to the heart of Japan.