Sabaydii,

 

Here is the continuation of a series ‘Coming home’ entitled ‘temple boy’

 

Hakphaang,

 

 

Not far from the old Lycee

In fact in front

Stood Wat ThatPhun

Where one of my classmates

Was a SangKalie Wat[1]

 

Couldn’t say

I knew him that well

Or how he managed to live

With the food left from the monks’ bowls

 

The fact that

He made a long trek from Pakse

To study in Vientiane

Testified to his strong will

For a better life

For a better future

 

Maybe

Because he was a temple boy

Having no place to cover his head

But the temple

He buried himself in books

While many of us

Privileged as we were

Wasted away time fooling around

And for nothing

 

Not sure

How his study helped him in the new Laos

For he was bypassed

Not being in the elite youth group

A chance to study abroad

Or even at the most coveted medical school

Was beyond his reach

 

Thinking back

I couldn’t help but

Imploring the path our country had taken

What a waste of talent

What a way to stall many promising young lives

Getting nipped even before

Having a chance to fly

 

Interesting to say

One of its downtrodden

Ignored by the new regime

Professing to represent the likes of his

What a sham indeed

 

Walking by the dwelling

He used to live

Seeing new SangKalie Wat at his place

Here it goes

Another young life

Waiting to be shocked

Out of the youthful innocence

 

9.29.03