On Saturdays
feet bare on the dusty road,
my sisters and I would run to the Mekong River.
Pulsing through the heart of my town,
straw boats anchored along the river beds,
many would come to the water's edge,
its steady flow our life force.
Some cleaning soiled sheets and plates,
some awaiting fish to catch their bait.
We held hands as we would wade
into the warmth of the sun-soaked stream,
the water enveloping me in a hug.
When you come from water,
you feel its abundance,
its desire to give and its nature to love.



