GENIE’S LAMP: In the Next Wind
By GENIE NAKANO
I’m oriental exotic, mysterious my eyes always half closed with a sultry inner smile
no, not generic Asian— Mongolian, Chinese, Japanese, Cambodian, Thai… my, my I’m Oriental from the Orient Now orient yourself, right now
I’m multi-grain mixed with yellow sunshine Kung Fu, Karate rice
whites and blacks LAPD cop car’s color combo do you get it and who cares
take me on a slow boat to China opium’s smoky rooms lined with silken cushions say what?!@%$$$
build the great wall block it out isolate, hello, Commander Perry
a name is a name color is a color
but my rods and cones undulate in a sea of silence where darkness is my undercover silence is my solace sitting still and diving inwards
way too noisy up here pushing , grabbing for the big fish tail from a muck filled sea
I’ll take the slow boat in the next wind
ching , chong, China man Black boy pulls his eyes into slits while cuz and I walk the Coliseums Rose Garden laughing at his antics what else is there to do
Oh, lovely Oriental women where is your man he comes in many guises hot and spicy wasabi is mine
good for cleaning out the system replenishing the kidneys
this Genie’s done for now don’t bottle me in bother me with your troubles
Bernie in Seattle couldn’t speak above the anger
who am I to try swallow it in and shit it out
besides I don’t own a gun… yet
Genie Nakano is widely published in journals, and her recent books, Enter the Stream and Storyteller are available on Amazon. She teaches gentle yoga and tanka at the Japanese Cultural Center in Gardena. Genie can be reached by email.
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