We travel
to a foreign land
backpacks only
spoon to keep warm
whisper in empty rooms

shake the bed
’til the walls spin around
and cookie crumbs fall
off the bed
into our hungry mouths

surreal dreams
turn real as clocks melt
from Dali’s trees
time turns
into timelessness

our breath
heats the air
a tropical breeze
blows in from the south
fragrant with plumeria

aurora borealis illuminates our walls

across the stage
we slip and slide
the scenes
keep reeling on
I reach for an epiphany

I miss
the cry of Marukai*
seaweed in the aisles
sesame seeds saimin
shiso shoyu shochu

as we step out the outside
into the dawn

a camel
kneels to the ground
offers us a ride
a red sun summits the sky
across the dunes we fly


Genie Nakano

originally published in Rafu Shimpoo, 2014, I revised it on March 17, 2021
My husband and I loved to travel. Never went on tours– just took what may–back packs only and traveled light.