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