Max's Graduation Poem by Suzanne Hayasaki

I'm off again to Tokyo.
I'm going to celebrate.
I'm going to see my first born son
And watch him graduate.

Four years ago I left him there
I watched him walk away.
I felt I'd lost a part of me
And I'd never be the same.

But with each visit that I make
To this crazy, mazy city,
I come to feel its energy.
It leaves me feeling giddy.

The night invites adventure.
The day provides a stage.
Potential pulses through the air
With the promise of the age.

If I were young, if I were free,
If I were as fearless as my sons,
I'd ride the trains, I'd walk the streets,
I'd spend my nights in clubs.

It may be too late now for me
To live the life boheme.
But I can watch my sons take wing
In pursuit of all they dream.

So I will stay at home,
As domestic as a hen.
While my thoughts betray my soul,
As restless as my pen.

And as my sons grow older,
And make their way in life,
My responsibilities will grow lighter
And I will be freed from strife.

Then I will come to visit!
Then I will play the guest!
And I will wander aimlessly
And put my work to rest.

So someday you may find me,
On a corner or in a park,
Sketching like Picasso
Or walking in the dark.

Maybe in my sixties
I will write my epic poem.
I will find my inspiration
In this city far from home.

So au revoir dear Tokyo.
I am leaving you behind.
But as long as my sons belong to you
Our destinies remain entwined.