A Poem by Glenn Lyvers

Kazuya  Yamamoto

 

I

Kazuya  Yamamoto worked

at the sushi bar, cutting perfect

sashimi for the society elites

with their fat wallets and

ultra-gold credit cards.

 

They filed in and out, for 10 years

while he served them with a smile.

 

He seasoned perfect sticky-rice,

and trained others to roll it thrice

into little circles of perfect form

almost too pretty to eat.

 

II

Sally brought her little girl to

eat at the sushi bar. She taught her

to hold the chopsticks just so

and to spit in her napkin

when she didn’t like

the edamame

and kanikama.

 

They came every Tuesday and

Thursday like clockwork toys,

the mother and the girl--smiling

with a barely recognizable konichiwa

before spitting out the nijimasu

in a neat paper napkin for two.

 

III

Kazuya saved the napkins,

in a leaking yellow ball

that sat quietly

on the window ledge.

He worked it with his hands

kneading it just so, before gently

slicing it into perfect circles,

and wrapping it tightly

in a nicely seasoned nori.

 

He served it with a smile,

saying konichiwa imi imishe kuso

and while bowing very low.

 

 

 

Glenn Lyvers is a poet and author living in Virginia Beach, VA. Lyvers is currently the editor of Poetry Quarterly and several lessor known journals. He has won two annual poetry prizes, a Wolfson award in short fiction and is the recipient of several Pushcart Prize nominations. Lyvers most recent book, Burnt Umber, published by MLM is available on Amazon.com until it is sold out. Learn more about Glenn Lyvers by visiting his online blog  www.glennlyvers.com.