w o r d s......

Japan

An exotic land far, far away
Holds strange and wonderous things
Unseen and unknown
A hidden water stone

A foreign culture
So different from our own
Shaped by a history
Rent with mystery, discipline, and intrigue

A cryptic language
Reflecting truthful beauty
Attained only by achieving the same state
Of mind that can only be Japanese

That state can never be wholly reached
Unless the blood of the land
Surges through your veins
And fills your being

Out of the same land
Are born masters of torture and pain
And masters of tranquility and peace
What seems to be, is not

In the past, their society was torn apart
As unutterable violence was played across the centuries
While gentle tradition was cultivated in every home
No small wonder it's hard for other countries to comprehend
This nation born of contrary and deceiving appearances

Yet the deepest roots of Nippon
Are seeped in a simple eloquence
The essence of gentleness
The aura of courtesy

Japan, in its complex simplicity
Steeled discipline and pure heart
Never ceases to fascinate the mind
As its Refinement ever reaches higher degrees
And its spirit of undying courage flames on