She's never set foot in Japan,
not in this life, not in 2024,
yet when she sees the crackle of old film reels,
or the soft glow of lanterns in a vintage show,
her chest tightens,as if she's remembering something
she was never meant to know.
It began with the sight of a silk fan,
painted with cherry blossoms,
and suddenly she's walking through a town
she's only ever seen in fragments of dreams—
cobblestone streets lined with wooden shops,
the scent of incense hanging in the air.
Her hands reach for something that isn't there.
She never knew a life in 1896, but her soul did.
The rhythmic clack of geta sandals
over stones,the soft rustle of kimonos,
whispers of a tea house by the riverbank
where laughter drifts with the scent of plum wine.
She's never tasted it,
but it lingers on her tongue
like a half-forgotten song.
At night, beneath electric lights,
she sees shadows flicker on her wall—
not of buildings or cars,
but of paper screens and wooden bridges.
She wakes from dreams where she speaks a language
she's only heard in films,
yet it rolls off her tongue
like it was always hers to speak.
In the market, she brushes past an old record player,
and for a moment, the city around her fades.
She's not standing in a neon-lit street anymore.
Instead, she's in a small town
at the turn of another century,
watching the river glisten under the moon,
her hands folded neatly in her lap,
as if she's always known this place.
As if she's waiting for someoneshe can't remember.
She tells herself it's just déjà vu,
just a trick of the mind.
But each time she sees something vintage,
the memories come rushing back—
glimpses of a life she can't explain,
a quiet existence beneath the sakura trees,
in a town that no longer exists,
except in the corners of her mind.
And she wonders—
how can you miss a place
you've never been?
How can you remember a love
you've never had?
She's a girl of 2024,
but sometimes,
when the world feels too loud,
too fast,
she closes her eyes
and returns to 1896,
to the quiet streets of a town in Japan
that never really left her.
This poem was inspired by a childhood story of mine which my mother said to me a few days back about how when I was around 3-4 years old I used to say random story about living in Japan .I found it to be soo cool and wanted to write a poem about it immediately ,but I couldn't at that time due to my exams.So yesterday when my exam ended I decided to immediately start writing this poem . Hope y'all liked it and hope y'all have a great day/night \^w^/ .
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Poems
FantasyThis is my first time ever trying to write poems so please review and tell me how I can improve them and I would also love to know how y'all would interpret the meanings of the poem :D.
