What if you woke up in the land of lettuce?

🍃

When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by a deeply verdant scent.
The air was damp, and the morning dew reflected light gently.
I tried to get up, and then I realized.

—The ground was entirely made of lettuce.

And not just any lettuce.
It was fluffy, cool, and slightly sweet.
Every time I stepped on it, it made a refined, crisp sound.

"Good morning."

I turned around, and there stood a head of lettuce.
To be precise, it was a "gentleman lettuce" walking on two legs and wearing a bowtie.

"This is the land of lettuce. You are our guest for today."

The town I was guided through was made entirely of the curves of leaf veins.
The buildings were beautiful, tightly wrapped head lettuce, the fountains were mist-like dressing,
and the traffic lights were not red, yellow, and green, but
"Wash," "Tear," and "Serve."

The residents were all calm.
No one ever got angry.
Because—if they got angry, they would wilt.

"What is important in life is"
"not to be forced to be cooked."

That was what the Elder Lettuce said.
Its outer leaves were a bit tough, and its words held depth.

When I was invited to lunch, a troublesome situation arose.
The dish served was—a salad.

"Wait, isn't this... cannibalism?"

Then everyone laughed in unison.
Crisp, crisp, crisp.

"We have a culture of gratefully eating"
"the 'leaves that have finished their duty'."

When they said that, for some reason, my heart felt warm.
To be of use to someone.
To remain fresh until the very end.

Suddenly, I heard a voice from far away.

"Wake up."
"Lettuce is cheap, so go buy some."

In that instant, the world softly crumbled away.

—When I woke up, I was in my futon.
The sound of a frying pan coming from the kitchen.
In the refrigerator, the lettuce I bought yesterday.

As I wash it, I think.

(The people of that country,
are surely living crisp and fresh again today.)

And so, I tore the lettuce,
a little more gently,
a little more carefully.

It was a dream.
But for some reason—
my hand as I poured the dressing was very cautious.

🍃

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