soon there's only outboard motor song and endless swish  swish  swish the
bay's major topography attributed to the dragon descending (ha long ) many
thousand years ago crashing, really, but 'descent' befits a dragon's fall
her head carved the bay, salt blood filled the sea, breath  became
wandering wind and breeze ten thousand islands grew from flecks of dragon
tail are many things giant turtles a shoe dropped by the trung trang king
flung up by the sea also giant's mouth, a squid's eye, and wild caves a
hammer crushing an anvil, serpents coiled upon themselves  the usual
suspects, boatloads of traitors and heroes turned to stone big brown eagles
circle out of range there must be majesty goats walk up cliffs upside down
round the islands' rough roads motorbikes cough a dragon cough watch the
brakes opposite the wharf the haiphong rocket boat ties up mr lo's
restaurant is where all good fish go to be eaten and fine fruit fall a
dollar slips far round the diesel slick bay tough and canny people live in
cat ba's floating town navigate an atoll maze islanding all their lives
fishing, -smuggling, coming ashore for spare parts sometimes at night for
snakewine (the sea is their blood, dragon in their eyes) fall in love on
the water some get married in port some get smart invest a contraband
nestegg and, an ear for the weather easily hears an engine's sigh and
chuckle  with a sailor's sense of livery the machine shop will prosper boat
and island two flips of a family a suburb on pontoons bobs like corks on
the swell curtains blow, a door swings open glimpse people talking,
cooking, cuddling, sleeping  the timbers creak, 'mind your own business' so
i watch the boats, thousands of arcane vessels sleep in the cruel heat  the
day cools down, things start to happen through a silent gliding balsa
corsairs smuggle fishing boats set out to conquer the ocean the faithful
take off their shoes boarding sea-going temples small row boats bamboo,
palm frond twisted into rafts dragon boats yellow and red diesel-powered
junks putt putt putting big eyes gaze from the prows of river boats out to
sea and children float in basket boats above darkest deep water water
everywhere longboats on a captain's holiday ply between schooners, galleons
even a paddle boat sweet sea rocking under  pearl barge motors by, bedecked
by silken courtesans spinning goddess smiles seated astern a wispy mandarin
dips long fingernail like an ornate rudder draws a line through the waves
the vessel i like best: two old torpedo boats bolted together propelled by
four big outboards, fishing nets hang from the prow's steel horns she flies
a blood red ensign happy families lots of kids no war, no storms for a
while wave from the deck young louts growl chugging by here, everything is
made from salvaged things how spare parts tacked together make a town float
like sharks on board watchdogs bark 'no fun, no fun' still, there's nothing
quite like messing about in boats night fall, a burst of tv laughter
screens flare across the lapping water hot alleyways ashore dig a dark
corner the market's maze pirate boys meet plain mr diem(a dragon man) he
unwraps flashes in the foil powder meant to settle the soul eyes pinned to
the game  every cell in the body will open a door, say thanks to the
trickhell straight from the mountains to you, sailor waves anger, rise and
slant clouds fulminate and fulminate pure black waves join clouds screaming
whistle snaps palm trees out of it steps a true dragon son, vapour colossus
tommy typhoon celestial naughty boy windows shatter and fly off a hammer of
water begins to beat the daylights out of everyone typhoon likes to whip
then settle down as a fortnight's rain soak the delta islands away sea
peaceful, she rises again diaphanous briny goddess smiling on the bay  hear
the outboard motor song the water's swish  swish  swish


S. K. Kelen




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