Sunset smear a smoggy peach.
Bats bite les moustiques.
Flame trees flowered months ago.
Lakeside lovers flirt.
Hanoi’s skyline lights.
Mid-autumn moon a lotus center.
Lotus leaves dry-curled, a memory of flowers.
Bikers on low plastic stools sip sidewalk tea.
Dogs pant and take their shit.
Suspect Adidas for sale on a blanket.
Whole ducks on spits with sparking coals.
Muffled drums rumble.
Green dragons brood.
Butterflied shrimp fritters in greasy piles.
White-bottomed palms frond themselves.
Green coconuts seek a machete cut, a straw.
Red-robed beards sell offerings.
The dead fish and dog poop day is done;
dusk is queen.

I’m starting off my blog from Hanoi with a bugs-eye view of my (relatively) new city: posters, patterns, graffiti, building materials, and party snacks. Check back for more words and images from my experiences in Vietnam and other parts of the world.