Friday, July 12, 2013

Day 28: The Shade


I've been paying attention recently, 
looking for inspiration, searching
for meaning, trying to find
shade from the ___

The other night, slightly south 
of DC, I listened as my husband's
friend Matt spoke of the shade
in Vietnam.

Not the war. 
The country.

As he and his family - 
wife, daughter, son - 
visited family - 
aunts, uncles, so many
cousins. They took a break
in the shallow-mountain country-
side, each filled with alters
to a greater god.

"On the way there," he recounted, 
"We stopped in a small village just south
of the foothills."  He paused, considering
his travels, recalling in his mind the polaroid
he carefully crafted for us.

"It was February, but hotter than any summer 
I have known.  So we were in shorts. T-shirts.
But, because it is an indication of class - 
whether or not you have a tan - 
everyone we passed wore long sleeves.
Pants. Hats. Even in the unbelievably hot
weather."

"Max was 4 then and he ran to play
in the shade with the other kids, all carefully
covered." 

I guess we all adapt.


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