love showcase

we were greenhouse students
lucky enough to
have spent three weeks
with the personable Thais

heads bowed and hands clasped,
the villagers formed
a tight circle around us
their mouths moving in sync
with the priest
chanting prayers for us

praying that we return home safely
praying for longevity and marital bliss,
with kids to brighten our days

self-conscious laughter
stirred from our silent homage
perhaps we were amused
at their casual connection
of a good life with marriage
perhaps we felt uneasy
thinking about grown-up stuff
who knows how life would treat us?

after prayers,
they never ceased
tying yellow strings around
our waists for a long time
[for good luck, we heard]
we kept smiling hard,
as if cheerful mugs
could somehow convey
our swirling gratitude inside

their simple gestures
tanscended all barriers
their sincerity humbled us
their generosity
left me so bloated
on the balance scale of give-and-take
that I ached for
my lack of vision
in showing my love