The animals’ despondency amuses me, a kind of light-hearted depression. The skinny-fat dogs shuffling about, teats hanging like grapes. Occasionally yapping at imperceptible visions, snapping at flies, then plonking themselves down, huffing in the heat; perhaps aware of their culinary possibilities? Tired of uncertainties. And the cows: Dozy as dope, sloping across incomplete highways. Slim sexy shoulder bones rising and falling with a combined synchronicity, resigned to their bother-less trawl.

I'm due to meet a boy today at my hotel - precisely 4:00pm. It was a promise made beside a burning lake, in a haze of belief. A cute skinny kid, well dressed, eyes like wishing wells, but poor, obviously poor...He was collecting "realms of different countries" I promised him 5 Singapore dollars and a variety of UK coinage for his collection. Much to my amazement we both turned up! I handed over the currency, and boy did that boy beam...He added the note and coins to his leather bound book of realms, and laughed a laugh. I'm unsure whether he was laughing with me or at me, but he laughed all the same.

So a balance has been addressed: I, taking advantage of this wondrous country, learning precious lessons - how to smoke the local cigarettes, devour the local cuisine. I now smell Vietnamese, earthy, pungent. Once I return home I'll smell British again, disguise aromas with aftershaves and lotions; return to my own unnatural state.

end of a journey
a myriad of aromas
still ruminating

Ok,

Please will someone answer this question:

Is there something wrong with the formatting on here? Are other people having problems?

This poem is supposed to be a "Haibun" in simple terms a prose piece with an accompanying Haiku. The Haiku (how I view it) is just one sentence, not formatted properly?

If no others are experiencing problems I can only put it down to the fact I've just upgraded to IE8 and this forum isn't compatible with it?

I dunno?

cheers
Kris

I recently spent a month in Vietnam, by the way, hence the poem

Kris,



Precede your text with < pre> 

and follow it with a blank line 

and then < /pre>.



get rid of the space after the < each time, 

then re-post...this will preserve you original formatting.  



Yes, the formatting here is 

all fucked up 

and the moderators 

won't or can't do anything about it.  



It turns beautiful pieces like yours 

into prose slush.  



Thanks for posting this fine piece,  



Peter

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/07/2021 12:11AM by petersz.

Thanks for that Peter, appreciated.

Alas, sounds too much like hard work. You just want to post your freaking poem!

This place is dead on its knees man...

Real shame.

cheers
Kris

Kris,

I enjoyed this one. Images are both provocative and mysterious at the same time. There is also an intimacy implied in the transaction that makes the encounter charged, without become sexual.

Cheers,
Brucefur

Also wanted to say that I think that you have grown as a poet. I found that the last time I stopped in here, Kris that I was drawn to read several of your poems, even though I was pressed for time.

Brucefur