Monastery, Bangkok

On the banks of the grey-water klong
a girl is playing with her long hair.
Evening. The temple.
A saffron monk watches her
from a safe indifference.

Three boys jump on and off a bamboo raft
laughing, ferried from side to side.
On the little curve of a bridge
a mangy dog sniffs
at a boy dumping chicken guts.
Emerging from the murk
a giant carp burps them down.

Turtles stretch their necks at you
waiting for scraps.
A bloated cat floats by
like a white beachball.
The boys have abandoned the raft to a frog
and the staring turtles.