Ukiyo

It began with the spark of lanterns

Flickering in a city

That teetered on the precipice of change

A floating world,

Filled with the sound of artists calling to their muses

At teahouses passed off as pleasure palaces

Alive with gossip, giri and good times

Spilling out into streets

Heavy with incense

Geisha swayed amongst the fog

Kimonos bright with every colour known to man

Drifting between this life and the next

While chōnin rubbed shoulders with actors

Fresh from kabuki shows

Fantasy and friction

Danced at the table of progress every night

Until dawn’s light washed away the magic

For another day.