by BK Johnsen
Take me to the skies
over oceans bright azure
As mother earth slumbers
humanity soldiers on
None disturb her soft silent peace
Gliding to lands of rising sun
the far east
Engines humming
soft snoring beehives
Meal 3 of 10-hour flight arrives
Bitter warm coffee
nori, seaweed
snow-white rice
a strange cookie
Sweet, tempting,
vice
Gazing through window
Staring, still as a bird
Mother nature’s naked beauty
peaking gently in
I peer straight into hers
In these fleeting moments
we own the world
Nature’s spirit
never spent
Even when intruders
wingless mammals
invade forbidden skies
heaven-sent
The dawn has broken
rays on the horizon
crimson ablaze
All life attends
til’ winds scatter and hide
Free me from this rat race
though my heart cannot lie
“Land of my past, remember me!”
between heavy, harsh sighs
Western eyes round and staring
imbuing more hate and more doubt
yet forgotten the worth of each human
fear of failure…or success
unless bought
My words no longer belong
in the west, all they see
is what I lack
…perfection
Ego tax due — pay up
Yet ego and the judge
thrive in all nations, all humanity
Yes, in new lands
pain and death still hatch plans
But oh, how surprising
welcoming faces abound
New alien strangers
seeking what I have
In Nippon I’m unknown
With new currency:
expressions, emotions, tone
All things we already own
Treasures greater
than silver or gold
Strangers,
a foreign land and tongue
teach me lessons so pure
None dare judge to one’s face
though in private, all still rage…
In youth I sought
comfort from travel — adventures unknown
With earned wisdom
human’s ego abandoned
Taught in tongues
Tales old as time
Bouncing love — reciprocal in form — from soul to soul
The only true comfort in life.
This story was my entry for a writing challenge on Vocal Media.
Thank you so much for reading. I Agape-Love you all.
Until next time, God bless.
07 Undiscovered Home
Listen to this episode from Before You Fall on Spotify. Originally posted to…open.spotify.com