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Tennis With Jai Liu
Flying foxes hang replete from the tall trees
dripping in the morning sun.
They have sucked the flesh
of mamey sapote,
of rambutan and mangosteens.
Their dog-like pelts are copper pendants
that seep a dawn drenched dew onto our heads.
The summit of Penang Hill
is reserved for the rich
who live above the heat and hustle.
Cool nights favor a fragrant adulatory.
Jia Liu has an 'Uncle'
that is not related to her.
When he is away
she takes me to the villa
as a tennis partner,
and sometimes lover.
After the game
we stroll under the bat dribble.
“It’s good for your hair,” she says laughing,
running ahead.
I call after her:
“Where do they go in the heat of the day?”
“To the fruit markets in George Town,
“they hang from the rafters.”
Last night I was with her again-
a dream.
We were drinking amrita of guava,
our lips smeared
with a sweet red thirst
that felt no shame.
Copyright ©
Eric Ashford
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