Dates and Carp

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Dates and Carp

From the cool lobby to the cooler limo      
is a moment of blistering heat.

At the restaurant the prince,
in long white thaub and keffiyeh, greets him 
and Satō-san, with a bow, presents his card.

First there are dates and glasses of lemon
by an indoor pond. He admires the koi,
and conversation moves as slowly as the carp 
to art, to horses, to motor racing
and the risks incurred.

At the table his host offers wine:
the slightest observable pause,
a negotiation of eye-brows,
before he quietly accepts.

There’s a path to follow, well-worn,
and talk proceeds – to gardens,
to homes, to the health of parents 
and the amusing scrapes of sons –
through mutually choreographed steps.

If all goes well (and why should it not?)
he will offer dinner tomorrow, and later
welcome an invitation to visit the plant.
Meanwhile, he has brought the traditional gift:
not immoderate and chosen with care,
wrapped in its furoshiki, impeccably neat.

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thaub : traditional Arab robe
keffiyeh : Arab headdress, held in place with a circle of rope
furoshiki : traditional Japanese cloth in which to wrap presents

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© John Stevens 2014

This continues my series of poems under the collective title “The Silk Road” which began with Frequent Flyers – see the post at:

Frequent Flyers

There are two more to come.

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