"Wading through the Marsh of Gold"

"If you carry your childhood with you, you never become older."

-Tom Stoppard

Since moving to Japan

I've been chasing my childhood...

...snagging glimpses of it

hither and thither,

but never quite catching up.

But now I'm learning how to balance

childhood and adulthood;

I'm learning 

they can coexist.

Lauren took me on the Thunderbird train

to her hometown, Kanazawa {金沢 "marsh of gold"}.

We visited a mountain shrine

where the shishi {lion-dog statues} are famous.

And then it was time for a lunch

of iwana {sea salt fish}.

*om nom nom*

Cat hats.

People hats.

Samurai garden.

I could've meditated by the tranquil koi ponds

all day long.

Tonya has a cherubic smile.

{She and her husband housed Lauren and I so we wouldn't need to pay for a hotel.}

Watching the koi swim,

my thoughts a-swirl.

Refreshed from meditation.

A perfect landscape consists of

spaciousness, seclusion, artifice, antiquity, waterways, panoramas.

And thus, the beautiful

Kenroku-en

the "Six Attributes Garden"

was named.

The famous stone lantern, Kotoji-toro

with legs that resemble

the bridge of a koto instrument.

Yamato no Takeru,

the legendary imperial prince

who founded the kingdom

that would eventually emerge as 

JAPAN.

Kanazawa-jo

the castle of Kanazawa.

Ema, or prayer woods,

are hung at shrines.

The ones written by children are my favorites.

This one says:

"I want to win a duel."

And this one:

"Come home soon, Papa."

Colorful mountains of Ishikawa.

Natadera Temple,

home of the thousand-armed goddess, Kannon.

Trekking up the mountain.

A family of guardian shishi

sentry this shrine.

This is the open-mouthed papa.

And this is a baby.

A pluming swan.

We climbed to one of the many

cave shrines,

when it promptly began to rain.

Drip drop,

baby rain drops.

Gazing out from beneath the torii.

Somewhere up in the candlelit caves,

I found a piece of me.

Etched into the very wood and rock

of Ishikawa prefecture.

{Music: "You've Changed" - Sia}

{Music: "Minna no Yume" - Hattori Takayuki}

{Music: "Sora" - Yoko Kanno}

{All but one of the photos of me were taken by Lauren.}