Saying There Are Cherry Blossoms
Doesn’t Make it True
three of which are men,
stand together on a bridge
in Ueno, looking at each other,
and not the cherry blossoms
like they’re supposed to.
Printed on a paper cut in two,
the Kabuki actors-dressed like women-
stand in kimono printed with blossoms,
separated from the women and men,
and whisper to one another
in isolation on the bridge.
As if posed on the bridge,
each actor awaits their cue to
talk in sync with each other
about the other women,
ignored by the man
who is supposedly looking at the blossoms.
And we (the audience) are the blossoms,
from the perspective of the bridge
where we are ignored by the men,
and lean in to
hear the gossip of the women
completely absorbed in one another.
But why not call this something other
than a print about a bridge and blossoms
when the picture is about the women
who are standing on the bridge,
but pay no heed to
the trees, and focus on the men?
Maybe the actors, who dress like women but are men
are really conferring to each other
about the confusing nature of this print, that seems to
have nothing to do with blossoms,
or Ueno’s bridge,
but seems like a commentary on talkative women.
The beauty of the blossoms, ignored by gossiping men
dressed like women who are standing on the Ueno bridge,
who only focus on each other, printed on a picture split in two.
