Bamboo Leaves

THAILAND A multi-layered world. Disabled beggars with plastic cups, a swimming pool filled with ice to celebrate New Year's Day; ghosts, Spirit Doctors, mediums, Buddhist monks...... Everywhere, temples thunder their disenchanting message that this teeming world, its glamour, excitement and misery, is impermanent, not-self and suffering.

FLOWERS OF THE HUMAN SPIRIT

A woman looks up

from her place

among the dirt and pollution

of Silom Road and joins

her palms together in salutation.

Someone has put two one-baht coins

in her plastic cup

(without looking at her face).

One hundred yards away,

The British Club is going to cool

their swimming pool

with ice for a Polar Swim

at 11.00 a.m. on New Year’s Day.

“Free of Charge. Free hot mulled wine.”

(There is a double crash barrier

with uniformed security guards

to protect would-be polar swimmers.)

At the Bangkok Motor Show,

an as-white-as-snow

Bugatti Veyron is à la carte,

escorted by swirling girls

in white satin evening gowns.

253 mph top speed,

turbocharged, all souped-up.

To squeeze out

all its growling sounds,

you will need

to take 165 million baht

out of your plastic cup.