Fuelling the party
is a man from Manchuria
with lampshade hat –
in his worker’s bag
a bottle of 60% baijiu
with Chinese characters
partying on the label;
one shareable shot glass;
a fishbowl jar of aniseed beans
soaked grey like fishbowl pebbles;
and a bag of sunflower seeds
which he says are to be eaten
“like a bird”, and keeping true
to his word, leaves seedshells
strewn to mark his perching –
41 amongst late-twentysomethings,
dignified in specs,
wise old man of the East
(he laughs at this!) –
he in turn fuelled by
poetry, philosophy, psych-jazz –
he in turn
turned by great turnings.
He crashes at ours, contributes $2 to
the cab, leaves a note marked 9:15am
saying thankyou, and that
the day has greatness to be had.
(Note: 'baijiu' = a variety of Chinese white liquor, usually between 40-60% proof, in this case distilled from sorghum.)
(c) Stu Hatton 2006
http://wordyness.blogspot.com/2006/08/portrait-of-ledong-qui-2006.html
is a man from Manchuria
with lampshade hat –
in his worker’s bag
a bottle of 60% baijiu
with Chinese characters
partying on the label;
one shareable shot glass;
a fishbowl jar of aniseed beans
soaked grey like fishbowl pebbles;
and a bag of sunflower seeds
which he says are to be eaten
“like a bird”, and keeping true
to his word, leaves seedshells
strewn to mark his perching –
41 amongst late-twentysomethings,
dignified in specs,
wise old man of the East
(he laughs at this!) –
he in turn fuelled by
poetry, philosophy, psych-jazz –
he in turn
turned by great turnings.
He crashes at ours, contributes $2 to
the cab, leaves a note marked 9:15am
saying thankyou, and that
the day has greatness to be had.
(Note: 'baijiu' = a variety of Chinese white liquor, usually between 40-60% proof, in this case distilled from sorghum.)
(c) Stu Hatton 2006
http://wordyness.blogspot.com/2006/08/portrait-of-ledong-qui-2006.html
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This "slice-of-life" really impressed me with its seeming understatement, slowly revealing a true character when read and re-read. Nice.
