I went to the local shrine to draw a fortune slip,
only to realize I had no hundred-yen coin.
With little choice, I pressed the intercom at the shrine office.

A voice replied, detached yet embracing:
“That can wait until your next visit.”

It struck me then that the deities of the Kojiki,
Japan’s ancient chronicles, were just like this;
uncontrived, carefree, and deeply in tune with reality.

And somehow, it all fell into place.