81. After Work
I was out for an evening walk with my friend Rumi. Though it was the “First Winter” in the ancient calendar and winter winds blew, we didn’t need our hats. Most bars kept their doors propped open as invitations. We walked slowly past one izakaya after another and he said, “Such taverns are a kind of glorious hell that human beings enjoy and suffer and then push off in their search for truth. Dangerous regions where sometimes disguises are necessary.”
Then he urged, “But never hide your heart.”
“Do you suppose that’s why they take off their ties?” I asked.
Tokyo