Rattle

Apparently it’s a cliche to say,

“Japanese has this particular word for...”

or at least it’s a pet peeve my friend has

since her friend’s dad always says it.

I thought I was doing something novel

when I was eighteen and started studying 

Japanese. That winter break I learned 

that half my friends had had the same idea.

So much for originality. Anyway,

the saying is ryūtōdabi. The lines

above the vowels mean that they’re drawn out,

like this poem. Four characters make up 

the phrase: Dragon. Head. Snake. Tail.

A magnificent opening that slithers down

to a whisper. (Only one letter off

from a “whimper.”) January thirty-first --

I wanted to go out with a bang;

I’ll settle for one more little rattle.

Maybe it’s enough to have known

the ambition. To have got the smoke 

going, even if you never breathe fire.