Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia

This poem appears in my first book,  A Casual Traveler

Chirping alarm clock

Curtains parted by golden rays

Bacon on the grill.

 

Tuk-tuk offers a rhythmic putt-putt

Scooters weave a tangled traffic web

Breakfast lingers.

 

 

Construction machinery groans

Workers in long sleeves, scarves, hats

Fumes and dust.

 

City noise fades in suburbia

Concrete becomes greenery

Sunscreen smells of coconuts.

 

Banging, whining, grinding

A rooster tail of sparks, blue smoke

Burnt metal.

 

Rooster crows

Chases yellow fur balls

Bouquet of country air.

 

Child giggling

Naked boy on the dyke

Dank and musty.

 

Water sloshing

Muskox lounge in rice fields

Floral scent.

 

Young voices in song

Bright red schoolhouse

Exhaust from a passing bus.

 

Engines roaring

Horde of pastel-colored boats

Wafting cigarette smoke.

 

Barking dog

House on a raft

Fishy smell.

 

Chanting over loud speaker

Floating church

Wood smoke.

 

Disharmony—people, animals, vehicles

Everyone is content

Exhale, big smile. 

 

“It’s the simple things all around us that make our travels memorable.”