The Eyes of Men
Poems in Transition, Cambodia

I am here
On the road
On the edge of the sun
On the edge of the rain
Where the light spills across the rice paddies
Which are covered not by water
But by sky

This is how it’s done:
The sky lays down in the earth
Beneath the water buffalo
And together they come to the edge of the green sea
Where the hills drop down
To sand awaiting footprints
That may never get there and
The horizon disappears
In an endless silver light

I am here
Where egrets stalk frogs and minnows
Unaware of the elegance of death
But dedicated to it nonetheless.

And here
Where the careless movement
of a woman’s finger
Traces out the curve of her pearl earring-
Touches her silken black waterfall of hair-

These things are enough to prove
That love incarnates eternally
That heaven can never drink enough blood
To be done with this endeavor
But will throw life against death forever
Just to be there
When beauty falls into the eyes of men.