tapi river, surat thani thailand

thin golden hands
whip the clothes and rocks
together
pounding soil
back to the river bottom
she wheels around quick
to see the scraped knees
crawling crying sunbrown face
hungry
she's a rescuer
wet cool arms wrap
cradle rock
brown river water
splashing
soothing

an orange sun ducks
behind bright green rubber trees
fishing boats buzz away
fade out
downstream toward the gulf
rhythmic lapping laces
a silty riverbank
droopy and glassy-eyed
the crying stops

she slips the whimpering body
into her backpouch
and carries on

--- e b bortz

(published in Voices of a Wanderer, 1993)