The Gate Of Rashomon Poem by Shogunoka Ledesma III

Heed the words of Akutagawa
Don’t let them fall
Like the searing rain
Over the corpses of the Gate

Look through the eyes of Kurosawa
Black and white you shall see
Simple and complex
The truth and its absence

Oh noble warrior
How strange is your courage?
Oh woman of purity
How foul is your innocence?
Oh great bandit
How weak is your blade?

Why would they lie, I ask?
To free us from murder
To save us from rape
To hide from our shame

Would you tell the truth?
You are the noble warrior
You are the woman of purity
You are the great bandit
Welcome to the Gate of Rashomon