By The Lake (Angkor Wat) Poem by Sheena Blackhall

A farmer bathes his cow in the lake
Like a servant, ministering to his mistress

The cow stands patiently
Enjoying her noontime pampering
Flicking her ears in ecstasy.

Ducks, full feathered, tied to the handlebars
Of a passing bike, hang speechless

Two tuk-tuk drivers, slumped in tree-slung hammocks
Sway side to side, under the idling leaves.

The spirit house on stilts,
Houses the spirits of their ancestors
Ghostly footprints leading down to the waves