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Suwadeekaaaa..
the bell clanged against spotless glass door
before the eye reached the salad bar
The girl at the registered sung hello
I had nothing but sandwiches for the week
her really brown skin, wide native cheekbones
Mongolian thick lips that no matter what she wore
she always had gold crown and silk trail–
princess and history keeper of a land I visited.

Energy
Sounds are like songs when spoken
a guiding set chosen by a community
signature accents, drags and intonations
chisels a country’s id

Pride
Say nothing and listen for abnormalities:
the hesitating “yes, but…so, ummmm”
is a stumbling Jesus walking out the door
every culture has a mid-thought meaningless word

Discipline
Listen again, this time to inner reaction
What’s consider beautiful or a gray line taboo?
Are you walking into line or waltzing hello?
When do shoulders catch the sun or hide in orange pashas?

Conservation
After hello, please and thank you,
the first word you learn to say is shaped by geography
the first sound is always ‘ma’
Imagine if water was your first word…

Language,
little mirrors of perfect imperfection
sound bites of who we are
and who we want to be
a sea we perpetually sail,
on turbulent tides and glassy white beaches
we’ll never reach.

One of my favorite photos from the Thailand set. Yes, I did take this photo! Yes, it has been months since my Thailand trip, but I was really missing having an elephant as a mode of transportation and having fresh coconut, papaya, pineapple and mango for breakfast.

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