Morning sun on sparkling harbour
with cooling northwest breeze:
beagle, unaffected by view,
pursues scents that must be
hallucinogenic
for this small hound.
Monkeys cavorting
at Baker’s Falls
in Horton Plains National Park:
the southern ocean winks diamonds
in a blue distance,
beyond Yala.
The Pearl River flows,
thick and sluggish,
crowded with boats
that represent three centuries
of water transport styles.
On the horizon,
the Hong Kong estuary awaits,
guarded by stern Victoria Peak.
On a quiet sand island,
kept stable by banyan roots,
clever crabs hide in the trees
to avoid the heat of the water.
In the distance, the bridge to Abu Dhabi
is laden with goods trucks,
and gold plated Mercedes and BMWs.
The dog spots a rabbit,
and the morning is shattered
by the baying of this fulfilled hound.
I ponder at the elaborate mechanism
by which our memories are stimulated
to replay random elements
from a full and contented life.
Coffee awaits on the southern verandah,
and the gentle wind
whispers to the pines,
with birdsong filling a perfect day,
and sunlight on the harbour.
