I left my heart in Kyoto
When the autumn leaves were so brilliantly red
I walked the old city with friends long ago met
And marveled at its sights in the beautiful weather we had
At the temples we washed our hands
Before entering the main chambers bare-footed
We admired a thousand and one statues of Kannon
Who protects us with her thousand outstretched arms
We climbed the stairs of a temple lit up at night
Traversed the torri gates of the Fushimi shrine
Crossed the river where our friends had spent their time
And tasted food from a vendor on the side
We drank green tea swirled in golden flecks
Sampled sweet morsels given to us to try
We had ramen and udon the Japanese style
Ate our fills of sushi and warmed our bodies with wine
On the hill that stands Kiyomizu-dera
We read our fortunes from omikuji and tested our luck
We meditated in a peaceful morning at a rock garden
Then strolled the ground of the temple of Peaceful Dragon
We saw the reflection of the Golden Pavilion
With its phoenix atop on the mirror pond
Rebuilt from the original temple at its very site
Where the glory of Yoshimitsu pervaded ‘til this day
With sorrow we bid Kyoto goodbye
Taking our memories with us on a bullet train ride
Falling asleep after a weekend of delight
We awoke to the wonders of Tokyo Christmas lights
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