Jambled Ramblings In Thailand

(author's note: this poem was written about real events as they happened, with only minor later changes)

"I woke up in the morning and I got myself a beer,"
free calls Orpheus Jim
as I roll up a winding Thai road in a bulky, warpath toyota truck
with a decent hearted military man;
we roll past mysteriously burnt farm fields
and tough, agile cattle grazing beneath the sun-burnt palms,
past a walking dead hominid
somehow balancing a two-sacked stick on his bony shoulder

Finally reach the phony paradise where a host
of middle-aged Westerners sucked up cocktails as they sunbathed,
occasionally summoning a Thai "mouse"
to fetch them one of some 20 sky blue clawed lobsters
suffering too much to slay the delicious white fish
that wander around them

I took a swim in the warm sea,
had daydream of going far out
to an "old man and the sea"esque wood fishing rua,
could see the lounging fisherman;
was brutally awoken
(perhaps helped toward enlightenment, "gan-luke-jang")
by a jelly fish two feet in front of my goggled face:

soon discovered this creature all but owned this patch of glimmering blue

emerging from the "talay" like a beat Venus
saw an arctic white long spiral shell,
picked it up,
perceived a ferocious claw emerge,
let it sink to the tan sand:
all without degrading thought or hesitation,
went about picking up straws, pepsi bottle-caps and glass
as my respectable father used to do when I was small,
tugged on a phonish cord, found it was buried deep
moved on "neet-noy" afraid...
(a Thai waiter saw my activity
and thanked me)

chatted with a Danish fogey, dank,
learned that tamarind
(a sorty of hairy brown pea pod that tastes figgy)
is helpful for constipation
traded fact that piss is good for jelly-fish wound
never mentioned beloved "Hamlet"

after this, there were amiable misunderstandings
some driving, a moment of negativity,
a bus-ride with no toilet, "incidents and accidents" - S & G
then a good room at "Eden" with a front cafe
complete with plants, toy palms, and sparrows that I dig,
also a barren backyard I may look at later,
approached some drinking twenty-some Thais and,
with a little finesse,
finaggled some mouthfuls of "pet" lobster salad and Sing-Sam whisky,
also some worthwhile conversation in broken English,
broke free of their likeable hospitality;

took a night ride past a centered red sunset
improved by a few drifting LA grey clouds:
a sublime if limited sight,
then had pizza with my drivers:
a smoking old nothern cat calls himself "Moon,"
calls me sir trickily deferentially, (I dig him)
young Siam cat is soldier in Bangkok mon. - thur.,
latter wouldn't eat the pizza due to red meat.

drunken sleep with lights, AC on but shoes, pants off,
woke up happily but rottingly ecstatic,
read history book "into the wild"
about great explorers north american continent:
Alex Mackenzie,
William Bartram, "dank" at drawing and coloring lifeforms,
then had black lobster salad diarhea,
saw a scorpion a few feet from my bare foot,
went into bedroom, circled for weapon,
found aforementioned spacious hardback volume,
hurled it at scorpion inflicting mortal wound,
finished job with water bottle in time to relieve myself cleanly

Soon cocks crowed,
sauntered to beach,
met "young Siam cat" and gladly drank offered mediocre instant coffee,
his friend Coffee Woman wouldn't take my money,
came back to "Eden" and sipped "alloy mak" orange juice while worked some more on this poem.
over-medium eggs served, felt restless so wandered to backyard,
saw 60 foot fierce variety of palm tree with ripening coconuts on top,
picked up 3 tiny coconuts,
journeyed back to table: I liked breakfast
juggled coconuts for clapping middle aged Thai waitress;

keeping to the side of the road:
purpose keep my toes
came to this Irish pub: now drinking my favorite "Tiger" beer
"alloy mak ma"
same same my faraway mentor:
Richard Provensen, green veteran warrior
and Portland, Oregon Cadillac salesman

I tell you, beliked reader,
it's all I can do to keep my soul on the earth
and my body from swarming with ants,
same same the scorpion 40 meters yonder