When I Am In Japan Poem by Randy McClave

When I go back to Japan, I will become Japanese
I will become part of that country when I go there overseas,
No longer will I be a tourist when at that land I have arrived
I will then be known as her native, my soul will then be revived,
My heart will become their culture my soul will be in their breeze
As I think about it now, I can smell the cherry blossoms in the trees,
When my plane is in the air and I am heading towards the rising sun
I know that many hours from now my great adventure will have begun,
And when I arrive in Japan I will convert my dollars to the Japanese yen
Then in my therapy buying state, another adventure will begin.

When I am in Japan, I won't shake hands; instead I will bow
I will also convert my eating habits to ramen and fish and not a cow,
And when I am at the restaurants eating tempera, rice and pork
I will eat them with my chopsticks, as I will have forsaken the fork,
While there I will never overfill my soy sauce bowl, or my sake cup
And if I am asked if I am tourist? I will say that I am, as I stand up,
When I receive any phone calls I will be answering it moshi moshi
And if I call to order take out food, I will order green tea and sushi,
I will always remove my shoes before I enter anyone's home or residence
I leave the world outside, and inside I bring only peace and not offense.

When I am in Japan, I will become their culture and their way of life
And if I bring disgrace to anyone I will remember seppuku with a knife,
And when I write a poem I will write it in Japanese verse of haiku
I will give my thanks to compliments bestowed, by always saying arigatou,
There is so much for me to learn when I return to that beautiful land
The way that I dress and the way that I talk and of course the way that I stand,
I enjoy seeing the Japanese people as they proudly walk down the street
And to see the rickshaws pulling tourists, it brings to my eyes a happy treat,
To see the imperial palace again it will bring a wonder anew to my heart
The Japanese culture it never ends; and to me it just begins to start.

Randy L. McClave