Then-young Dan left in late July of 1991. He wrote the following poem and I gently placed it within the hallowed pages of the July 1991 issue The Tatami Times monthly newsletters for Tochigi-ken (Province of Tochigi) dues-paying JET folks... of which I was one, as I needed to be if I was going to be the newsletter's editor/chief photocopier/guy who sticks things in a large envelope and pays for the postage out of his own pocket-type guys.
The following poem, is quite witty, and although I was still in my love affairs stage with Japan (I guess I still am!), I really didn't see what all of the fuss was about between him complaining about things, or Robert Izatt, in the PREVIOUS BLOG.
Oh well... nearing the end of my third year, I at least understood his frustration.
One Month To Go
Dear Lord release me from this purgatory,
I've done nothing really gory.
But should this JTE (Japanese Teacher of English) say 'yes' just one more time,
these four wall I'll have to climb.
'Musukashi' (difficult) is a word I often hear,
its driven me to many a beer.
But when the teacher's start to say it too,
I'm tempted to get a gun and shoot a few.
English is not that complicated,
as is often implicated.
But, I'd use longer odd retorts,
when asked, "What do you like sports?"
With none have I a bone to pick,
and they beat me not with a stick.
Though oft I'm treated as old and lame,
and think 'gaijin-da' (Foreigner) is my new name.
And now this short 'ode' I do end,
before I go completely around the bend.
In this land of the rising yen,
at least we're allowed 'freedom of the pen'.
Somewhere wondering what they did beat Dan with,
Andrew Joseph
Today's title is by:Van Halen, and can he heard by listening to David Lee Roth's HAIR.
