A simple teahouse

Geisha laughing behind sleeves

Samisens playing

Ethan drinks sake

Lone at the corner table

Watching geisha dance.

A delight of sound

The samisen plink plink plinks

Geta stamp stamp stamp

Men watch the dancer

Ethan watches the player

Of the samisen

Thin fingers pluck strings

Eyebrows together in thought

Chords flow tenderly

The nape of the neck

The tendrils of long black hair

Beauty dancing down

A pause, a deep breath

And everything changes now

Western male eyes

The geisha is not

A soft Japanese woman

But, instead, male

Faintly familiar

Old eyes looking up at him

The singular gaze