A sea of faces is what I observe,
Clutching on to a wallet or a purse,
Hunting for the best ever bargain,
Is shopping in Shanghai a joy or a pain?
Spotting a shop with luxury tags,
I walk in to browse through the bags,
Dealing with the constant crush of humanity,
Can drive one very close to insanity.
A toothless smile from the shopkeeper,
Goose pimples ensue and the magic is over,
A garlicky burp erupts and nausea prevails,
Taking to my heels, I almost wail.
Running through a labyrinth of walkways,
Up and down flights of rickety stairways,
I arrive at a shop with plywood interiors.
An assortment of fakes greets me, even Cartier
Keep my back against the wall, I hear
Check that the passageway is clear,
Negotiate till I am about to drop,
To hit the rock bottom price as I shop.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem