Rainy Day Kimiko [verse], Rainy Day Kimiko [verse]

Dedicated, very belatedly, to Fred and Sarah's happy future, as well as Mrs. Phaedrus's continued health (it's a pretty long poem, I figure I can get away with two).

A record of the simple passions of a human heart in the rain, to be read to the tune of nothing in particular, save for the sound of a wandering mind and the touch of a cold, gray day from years past.


Rainy Day Kimiko

by: Jon Keim (J. Random)
began 12/19/2001
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A glance out the back door

Great gray billows have made light flee
and sun surrender it's dignity.
And this trip home, the sidewalks boast
will make her muddier than most.

"Such a joy"

As her shift ends the leaves are still,
the world outside holds latent chill.
Pull up her hair, slip on her coat,
"I'm going to need a freaking boat,

"just to make it home"

While waitress worked the storm would rage
and lightning flash across the stage
set by the windows of the store;
the thunder crashed and shook the floor.

"It's pretty from here"

Wind lashed madly against the panes,
an imitated typhoon's rains.
These days were slow as a general rule.
She'd watched from perched atop a stool.

Sipping hot cocoa

The lunchtime crowd found other retreats,
ignoring their vacant and un-paying seats.
Her shift was uncharacteristically dead.
"There goes my chance at being fed."

"At least work is over now"

When wind had left the water stayed,
and now on ethereal currents played,
with passers-by a mischievous game,
their huddled warmth it sought to claim.

"I have to walk home through THIS?"

Between the towers, skies hung low
in mist-enshrouded Tokyo,
set to the symphony sublime
of chills played up and down her spine.

"Boy it's cold"

Hands in her pockets, she shoved them deep,
hoping some feeling therein to keep.
Forgotten there was a perfect prize,
they lit a glow in happy eyes.

"It's my mittens!"

Fuzzy thick yarn slid eagerly on;
the damp and cold were suddenly gone,
and try as they might with their demands,
they could not chill her happy hands.

Ah, the power of fuzzy mittens

But such delight, it would not last;
a car came hastily hurtling past.
A thund'ring roar and off it sped,
a startled puddle jumped and fled.

"Waah! Now I'm all wet!"

Her warmth and heart had both been sunk
worse than before, and off she slunk,
through grayish breezes gently lapping,
a black mood in her heart entrapping.

"This always happen to me, doesn't it?"

Mittens don't work when they're soaked,
she thought it all a cosmic joke.
They'd laugh at her, those skies would dare,
had they not been too cold to care.

"Yeah, it happens to nobody worthless wet little me"

In a building temper squall,
she lent her feet a heavy fall.
But mem'ries hid in liquid's flash:
that puddles, when kicked, produce a splash!

"He he" *sniff* "That was always so much fun"

A splish in one, the next a stomp,
it soon became a happy romp.
Her face now wore a smile's crease,
caught up in years of happy release.

Never a happier girl

She skipped off through the swirling blue,
towards her promised rendezvous.
Ah there's the friend that she was meeting,
but dour look met happy greeting.

"What the hell happened to you?"

"You're wet and cold, your face is blue,
"shiv'ring your whole body through.
"It makes no sense, your smiling face,
"a grinning angel's fall from grace!"

"You've frozen your common sense off, haven't you?"

The first girl winced when hard words connected,
then suddenly realizing, now saw reflected
there in her friend's scowl and in her bearing
hid the rainy-day mood she was earlier wearing.

Clearly, something had to be done

Her face, it felt a sly grin growing,
her friend would have no way of knowing
the deed she planned 'till it was done;
her heart broke into a mischievous run.

"This'll fix her mood"

The first she leapt, a pouncing cat,
and knocked her shocked companion flat.
The second yelped as mud met girl,
her eyes formed fire, her lips a curl.

"What do you think you're DOING!?!"

"You know you're just BEGGING for your early demise."
But on looking up into innocent eyes,
the second, she sighed, then readied to stand,
and took her friend's bemittened hand.

"Whew, it worked!"

"You're a fool, just so you know."
"Oh, come on you, 'cause that's just low.
"You never used play this way?
"It's best to run on a rainy day!"

*sigh* "You're still an idiot. And you're doing the laundry too"

The puddles jumped all down the street,
scared by four hop-scotching feet.
Parade of two went splashing on
remem'bring days they'd long thought gone.

Dirty and laughing

Bet you folks didn't expect to hear from *me* again very soon, did you? Well, I'm still not really keeping up on forum events; no time y'see. But I figured I was *soooo close* to finishing this piece that I ought to just complete it and get it posted. Gomen for not reading more poetry threads, especially with all the filk and such that's flying around lately. Just too much to do, and I'm too damn slow to do it, besides. Oh well.

Hmmm. When I started writing this poem it was *supposed* to be a very melancholy piece about Kimiko wandering the streets of MegaTokyo on a cold and rainy day, thinking sad and miserable thoughts as she is wont to do. I wonder what happened... I suppose it's probably penance for the last couple (rather depressing) poems I posted...

...ph33r the warm fuzzies.

Finally, Piro, could you please do an art day sometime with Kimiko, bemittened, splashing in puddles? Asako would do too, though, if you think that the kawaii generated by a happy Kimiko in mittens would be too dangerous. ^___^ (It should be noted that I personally ph33r n0 k4w411. Do your worst!)

In reply to:

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Finally, Piro, could you please do an art day sometime with Kimiko, bemittened, splashing in puddles?

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I second the motion!


Edit: Just finished the poem. Very good, J Random, and it's good to hear from you again.

The motion has been seconded. All in favor?

Very impressive, JRL! All the things I love in a poem: lyrical, with very compelling imagery. Sad and funny by turns.

In reply to:

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They'd laugh at her, those skies would dare,
had they not been too cold to care.

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Just beautiful, and well worth waiting for. (Heh...listen too me - I sound like "Rave Reviews", all sound-bites. But you deserve it all for this one!)

The motion is thirded I guess...

Definitely in favor here.

Aye!

Brilliant, JRL. I'll provide more commentary later, but I really need to run.

Hai!

JRandomLurker, thank you for this piece. It seems suited to a long scroll.

Happy Kimiko in Rain is such a wonderful thought. With a hop, skip, and a SPLASH! And the mischievousness!

Pouncing about Erica all wet and muddy. Ah, a child's innocence, how we all long for those momments.

Aye!

Ah, very cool, JR! I was hoping you'd get this up soon, when you mentioned it the other day. I'll say the same thing now as I said then; you're a damn good poet, even if you are a slow one. As Shoka said, well worth the wait. McF! Here's one to archive!

favor +++++++

anywho - yeas.

Kimiko fanboys basking in the pixie mischef would be k00l!

There's something very nice about the image of Kimiko splashing in puddles. Not to mention that that was an excellent poem.

Fred definately could do a DPD on that one. Hear that Fred? DPD: Kimiko splashing in puddles! </insolent>

Looks like I'll be making yet another update to my writers archive. If only there were some way I could automate that thing. Stupid university...

This has put me in an AWESOME mood for the rest of the afternoon.

Thank you! (:

McF

Great poem J.
I hearby 5th (or is it 6th by now? *shrug*) the motion to have a DPD of this.... Wait! a Great idea! C-kun, print this out and give it to Fred at Sakura-Con and tell him there has been great support for it to be a DPD, that could solve any isssues with not having enough time for Monday's comic, DPDs are so much faster to make.

Had that been as melancholic as you meant it to be, JLR, I would've shed a tear. And you know what they say, "It takes a big man to cry... and it takes a bigger man to make him cry."

Touching. Just touching. The infinite power of putting images in one's mind utilized powerfully.

Good sir, you are a poet indeed, to make one such as I look upon such joyously flowing nouns, verbs, and adjectives.

I am officially waiting for that DPD, whether it comes or no. Of course, I don't think there's been a DPD yet that I haven't thought was amazing work--wait, there's one, but it could start a war over which. So, if you'll excuse me, pretend I didn't say that last bit.

W00t! Original verse again! And so good, with such kawaii imagery! W00t again!

- _Quinn

*bump*

I think you've cracked the "funny" barrier for Kimiko. It's something I haven't been able to do.

Most Impressive I might say
Credit given towards your way

Good work, sir. {Although when I saw the title I was expecting a filk of "Rainy Day Woman."}

Delightful as the image of a girlish Kimiko playing in the puddles is, I'm more taken by the image of Erika actually thawing to the point of being able to play along with Kimiko in similar fashion. After all, we know Kimiko is capable of Pixie Mischief™, but is Erika? We've yet to see her let her hair down in this fashion.

Well, I'm off to bed happy!

Very pleasing poem.

I'm gonna yes to a vote of Puddle Splashing Kimiko.

It was very well done, JRL. Very eloquent.

In reply to:

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I'm gonna yes to a vote of Puddle Splashing Kimiko.

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NOOOOOOO...
Please, please don't?
I love Kimiko, but DPD's are 3/1L !!!
What if Fred just gets a way of sticking the poem in MT's story?

A big Thank You to everyone! It really made my day a couple times over to come in here & see people enjoying my poem. ^^

Caduceus is now officially my hero, for actually giving this crazy thing to Piro and requesting a DPD. Wai.

gaijin-rx: If you're looking for more melancholic stuff, try my *other* poems... ^^; I ought to be able to link you to my poetry page for a canonical dose... And while there *are* a few things up there, I don't exactly have everything yet... gomen nasai. ^^;

smurd, I won't let you get away with saying that. Not when I've been around long enough to remember this! You just have to think about her right. ; (Holy crap, that thread was my very first haiku post ever... o.O )

Hamster: I'm not actually sure how in-character it *is* for Erika to be splashing in puddles. I think I probably took some liberties with her character in that respect. But then, that's why they give us things like these: *flashes his Poetic License, grinning*

Mind Booster: My poetry in or inspiring an MT *comic*? That'd be... I dunno, worth something a lot more than a "w00t!" (_Quinn did something like it before, but to my knowledge nothing's ever ended up in MT itself)

Once again, thanks everybody!

I aim to please, Mr. Lurker. I just hope he remembers; I talked to Serephim two or three times over the course of the con, and I know she remembered me (she's so cool!), but Fred was so busy drawing stuff, he could barely remember his own name by the end. Still, hopefully he'll take some time to look over it and all the filks on the plane ride back. We'd both be pretty happy.