Phra Athit, celestial emperor,
leads his royal procession each day
across the shimmering sky.
Breathing life into the rice paddies,
his golden robes gild temple roofs
and commands the reverence of the Mae Khong.
The hardy must endure his midday glare
until a truce is brokered
with Mae Posop and the Naga,
and so the seasons share the throne.
Mae Suay Dawan brushes pastel dawn
over the Andaman Sea
jewels of dew at her feet,
a gown woven from the first warm hush of morning.
Her quiet radiance outshines
the golden trumpet trees.
Nang Ron, lazy and playful trickster,
throws a heavy, humid blanket
over the melting asphalt of Krungthep.
Mirages rise like whispered promises of cool,
eyelids sag with heat;
she lulls us gently toward our hammocks.
The chef grills the city in a giant wok,
the rent is paid in sweat.
Phee Waela draws out the drones
of the cicadas
melting away afternoons.
The breath of the slumbering dragon,
an endless exhale.
Shared with dVerse Poetics – ‘So This Is…’
Prathet Thai (ประเทศไทย) literally ‘free nation’
Phra Athit (พระอาทิตย์) The Celestial Emperor.
Mae Khong (แม่ของ) River known as the Mekong in the West.
Mae Posop (แม่โพสพ) The Rice Goddess
The Naga (พญานาค) The Great Serpent
Mae Suay Dawan (แม่สวยดาวัน) The sun seeking reflection.
Nang Ron (นางร้อน) Invisible but felt everywhere.
Krungthep (กรุงเทพ) Bangkok
Phee WaeLa (ผีเวลา) The embodiment of lazy afternoons
1994ever 
Really is quite beautiful, I love the voice and imagery. Thankyou for including the meanings, makes it all the richer.
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Thank you 🙏
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All those lookal names and divinities makes this coming alive for me…. it sounds like both busy and calming at the same time
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I’m in the countryside in the north so I don’t have to deal with the busyness of Bangkok. Here it is just calm and calmer.
Thanks Björn 🙏
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You took me to a magical place, of rice paddies and gilded rooftops. Wonderful. I especially love the city being grilled in a giant wok. A fantastic way to describe heat.
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Thanks Sherry 🙏
By Thai standards it’s a chilly 20 degrees Celcius today!
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Striking imagery, Shaun, pulsing and vibrant. “The chef grills the city in a giant wok,the rent is paid in sweat.” I love that!
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Thanks Jennifer 🙏
Some days are very sweaty – particularly after chasing around 35 grade 7 students to do some work for me.
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Nice! I appreciated the translation. Love the image of the chef at her wok. Many pay their rent in sweat. Good work
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Thanks Yvonne 🙏
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I plan to visit this place and country one day. Definitely interesting images in your poem.
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Enjoy the city but also, get out of it if you can.
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“a gown woven from the first warm hush of morning” sounds really appealibg. I do not know your characters but i love the life they bring to your poem.
Delightful reading
Thank you for dropping by my blog
much♡love
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Thanks Gillena 🙏
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