Things I Never Expected (two poems)

Things I Never Expected –1 Virginia

Finding a good facial razor in America

was very difficult. I could easily find strips,

the thing you place the sheet on your skin

and pull it quickly at once, but I had never

used it before and it sounded way too rough

to me— moreover, I have a mole beneath

my nose, and I thought the stripping would

hurt it, or it could make it worse, I mean,

bigger, and of course I did not want it to be.

So I ordered a razor from Japan, the one

with the shell mark, the one I always liked.

I did spend the absurdly high postage

that was more than the price for the razor.

The pharmacy enclosed a piece of bandage

as a bonus, or a pity—but when I went out

after shaving my face, I felt my suave face

so bare and reshaped, that I walked faster

than usual, like a bashful girl wearing

an airy skirt for the first time in spring.

Ayako.M

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Things I Never Expected –2 Tokyo

Back in Tokyo and standing in the west side

of Shinjuku, I am waiting for the walk signal

to change— and when I see some business

men standing on the other side of the road,

I burst into tears— you may wonder why, but

there was no one across the road in Roanoke

mostly, and sidewalks suddenly disappear

as if to say Don’t walk, drive, so when I pushed

the button and stopped groaning cars, I let myself

walk in haste, just like when I speak in English

fast, tongue-tied, but look—now the light turns

blue and I stride the crosswalk, my dauntless

footsteps clacking, like saying aloud A I U E O.

Ayako.M

*A I U E O is Japanese vowels; it's NOT typo of Eng. AEIOU.