The Life of a Manga Artist
             A Pantoum


Takahashi didn't start out this way
with insane classmates,
those creative geniuses
or homicidal seagulls dive-bombing her at lunch.

No insane classmates
who consider spray-painting her hair
and homicidal seagulls dive-bombing her at lunch
until she throws ketchup packets at them.

Who'd consider spray-painting her hair
when Takeuchi isn't even tormented that way
until she throws ketchup packets at them,
those crazy art students?

When Takeuchi isn't even tormented that way
nobody would ever expect
those crazy art students
to think up new uses for her paper-mache.

Nobody would ever expect
those creative geniuses
to think up new uses for paper-mache--
I bet Takahashi didn't start out this way.






A
B
C
D

B
E
D
F

E
G
F
H

G
I
H
J

I
C
J
A






Rumiko Takahashi and Naoko Takeuchi are manga (Japanese comic) artists. This poem is copyrighted to Mary Myers and any thiefs who try to take it without giving due credit are violating the law. Other than htat, how do you like it?