Pilot K was born in Kyoto in the spring of 1923
From an early age he admired Tiziano Vecellio
Otherwise known as Titian
He often visited galleries to study the Italian and other great artists
Pilot K wanted to be an artist
A successful artist
Who would travel beyond Japan
To Italy and then to America
He admired America
He liked Americans
On one occasion an American visitor gave him a book
This book contained the complete works
Of the Italian
Today would be the last day that
Pilot K would breathe
The calm summer air
Of his beloved country
In hours he would fly his Zero
Into an American battleship
He had left his paper blank
Leaving on a sketch of
Venus Rising from the Sea
In honour of the Master
This was taken as an acceptance
By his superiors
As Kamikaze Pilots
Were volunteers
Pilot K knew that he would
Never visit
Italy
To study the master
But hoped that
By attacking the battleship
That his spirit
Would be transported
To the countries
He would never know
On the night before the attack
Pilot K
Removed the painting of
Venus Ring from the Sea
From his beloved book
He sent the remainder
Of his damaged book
To his other self
In Italy
Wrapped in brown paper
Pilot K hid the painting
Under his flying jacket
As he walked towards his Zero
The ceremonies were over
But the summer air
Was still soft
Like the body of Venus
He imagined
As he climbed aboard
The explosive laden plane
He looked into the narrow cockpit
This will be my place of death
My coffin
He thought
I will experience
My last thoughts here
My last thoughts will be of
Venus
Venus Anadyomene
High above the clouds
He removed the painting
From his flying jacket
And placed it in his line of vision
It obscured his view
He was flying by instruments alone
Within the hour the ships
Had been spotted
And he prepared to dive
He would dive blindly
Into the sea
He would die
But the battleship would survive
Perhaps the son
Of the kind American
Who gave him the book
Was serving on the ship
His Zero went into a vertical dive
Its engines screamed
The plane shook
But the blue sea
Far below
Remained still
Pilot K thought he would experience
His own death
But he was wrong
Due to ferocity of his dive
The page he had removed
From the book
Given to him by the American
Wrapped itself around him
And he became unconscious
His last mortal thoughts were of
Venus Rising from the Sea
The first after memory of Pilot K
Was of a girl
With flaxen hair
It was long
Stretching almost to her waist
She was naked
But her exposure
Seemed indifferent
Due to the length
Of her hair
She had obviously been in the sea
As her body
Was still damp
And the many droplets
That clung to her
Were reflecting
The blue of the sky
Pilot K looked away from the naked girl
His Zero lay smashed
Partially hidden by a huge shell
It’s colour had however changed
It was now as blue
As the sky
And the sea
In the spring of 1963
Forty years after the birth of
Pilot K
A Titian exhibition
Was held in
Kyoto
Japan
A large number of works
By the master
Were sent by an American Foundation
The aim was to bring the two countries
Closer together
One of the paintings sent was
Venus Ring from the Sea
It was exhibited in
Exhibition Hall K
On the last day of March
A tall American
Stood before the painting
It was his favourite painting
He had studied it often
But had never noticed
The small imperfection
That could be seen
Almost hidden
Behind the shell