Sabaydii,

 

Here is the continuation of a series ‘Coming home’ entitled ‘What hurts the most’

 

Hakphaang,

 

 

They say

Nothing can hurt you

If you don’t take it

 

Not so

In my case

 

Singled out by history

As the most naïve

I went to Laos

With hope running high

 

For the first time

Laos is at peace

Hardly a possibility

Years and years ago

 

No less significant

She is in ASEAN[1]

The first step to openness

Advancement

And the trickiest of all

Hope

 

From now on

Landlocked will become

Land linked

What more can I ask?

 

Alas

When I was there

The little things I saw

All but giving conflicting signals

 

As they say

It looks like a duck

Smells like a duck

But it is not a duck

 

What is it then?

Pure and simple

I don’t know

But it hurts no less badly

 

The new regime or not

I don’t care

Just carry Muang Lao

To the other shore

 

Don’t know

When I will be back again

When the pain is going to leave me

Or it this my fate

Damned forever

Like the country I dearly love?

 

Gone away coming back

Still the same old things

That’s Muang Lao of thee

 

9.24.03