The Ryokan Experience – A Few Haiku

[JAMES]
Beautiful hotel
Surrounds fine sculpted garden
Feels like history.

[LUCY]
Strangely empty room;
Ascetic. But where’s my bed?
Fragrant tatami

Japanese ryokan:
Pay much more; sleep on the floor.
Must be high culture.

Public bath, at night
With a women’s football team
James is quite jealous

Tried to navigate
Steep stairs in slippy slippers.
Banged head on beam. Ouch.

I though, am right-sized
That’s less fun with grumpy James
Laughing does not help

Honoured guest; kind host.
Shown how to use my chopsticks.
Perhaps I look dumb?

Breakfast of poached eggs
Soft poached, eaten with chopsticks
I yearn for Starbucks

Fine Yukuta robe.
Worn at dinner after bath.
Dangling free – most strange.

I wear my robe wrong,
Kind hostess tells me (firmly)
“Like a corpse”. Stylish.