Sabaydii,

 

Here is the continuation of a series ‘Coming home’ entitled ‘Pakse again’

 

Hakphaang,

 

 

 

After the temple,

Slowly I strided

Towards the Xe[1]

Seeing the old rusty one-way bridge

In the distance

 

 

Not far

On top of the bus

I saw baskets of fruits

Hanging loosely

 

At times

I heard the strident female voice

Piercing the air

As something juicy fell off the bus

 

Down below the bridge

On the river

The boat sailed along

With stuffs and merchants

Very much like the scene on the bus

 

Looks like I saw everything

Then came a monk

Perching on the rooftop of the boat

Enjoying the view all around

 

 

Pakse

A city spanning over the two sides of the Xe

Was truly a sight to behold

 

Couldn’t help to wonder

Where the hell I was before

 

With still more time to kill

Before taking off to Xekong[2]

I dropped by a school nearby

 

Being located in the city

This school was better built

With cement and some kind of painted walls

A gift left from the old regime

 

 

I noticed a young teacher

Just got out of the teacher school

Waiting to be assigned

To a new class a new life

 

The way she sat

Reminded me of my own life

When first came to the U.S.

Nervous and not knowing what life may bestow

 

By 8 am

The bell rang

Rushing in the students

Into their respective classes

Some with the red scarf[3]

A first step to the party membership

A key to power and wealth

 

 

With the camcorder in hand,

I followed the red scarf students

There they were

Taking the lead role in the class

Commanding their fellow students

To salute the teacher

the leader

 

 

Yes Lao kids of today

Were different from those of yesterday

Will this new indoctrination last?

Nobody can tell

 

8.1.03