What 23 Looks Like

A whirlwind of adventure accompanies 23 From coast to coast and all abroad My plane fees cost more than an apartment And that’s okay because I saw the world with eyes wide open I dined on pizza and pasta Met a painter, though he was more than that to me I thought it was meant to be, but jagged edges cut my skin I saw Italy with eyes wide open My arrival was accompanied by a new language Sakura blossoms cover the city in a pink glaze I have a long conversation at a local cafe about inochi I saw Japan with eyes wide open Back to English with a cup of tea Double decker buses flood the crowded streets Meanwhile, Big Ben chimes midnight I saw Britain with eyes wide open The stampede of bulls and cheering onlookers Spicy foods taint my tastebuds Heat seems to seep into every pore I saw Spain with eyes wide open The haunting memories of World War ll Savory sausage and cheese Oktoberfest energizes the country I saw Germany with eyes wide open Making friends with a mime, though he spoke little Wearing my new beret askew I become a sculptor's muse I saw France with eyes wide open Lions and elephants are mere walks away I eat roasted goat with locals in celebration Learning to basket weave in a different tongue, yet all the same I saw Kenya with eyes wide open So, here I am, merely 23 And I saw the world with eyes wide open