Ode to Tom Yum // a poem

Oh Thailand

The lemongrass, the spicyness, the green onion

Mushrooms, tomato, white onion

Carrots

Large leaves of chewy lemongrass

With shrimp

The flavor, the joy.

The lime wedge.

It’s piping hot

The pepper burns my mouth

The saltiness, smoothness, & complexity

Sitting in a restaurant on Koh Tao island

In the hot season in Thailand

Sipping on soup

It’s exactly what I should be doing

Sitting at a table outside, sweating

Hearing the motorbikes whiz by

And hearing the owners speak Thai quickly