Revision: Prayer to the Wanderlust

At the end of Shek-O road
I found a sacred place
Where looking back is looking forward
And time stands still in Hong Kong

I scaled the Dragon’s Back
Told the wind my secrets
And wished upon the Big Wave Bay
As a 747 and a sparrow sang the blues

I took a deep breath
Dove into blue water, surfaced happy
In the Klongs of busy Bangkok
Where long boats and I danced on the Chao Praya River

Men and women craved love in the night
Burning incense at Erawan shrine
They waited hopefully for The One to emerge
From under the bright red lights of Patpong

Then the moon picked me up
Cradled me in her crescent
Then laid me down gently
On the glorious Great Wall of China

I spun around each brick, from Badaling to Mongolia
Seduced by tales of Ming Dynasty battles
I climbed up a tower and sipped luscious power
From the goblets of Kublai Khan

The Pacific took me away
Then stopped at the Miura Peninsula
Japan tied an obi around my waist
As I kowtowed my way to Tokyo

Sakura smothered me at the graves of Aoyama Reien
The cherry blossom drifted to Yoyogi Park
Where Shibuya girls worship fashion alongside the Meiji Shrine
And Buddha waits quietly among the gardens

In the blink of an eye
And a passionate flourish
I was swept off my feet
As Paris scooped me in her embrace

Mesmerized by the Seine, I found a gliding gait
As I charmed the Champs-Élysées
The Pompidou declared undying affection in the Bar du Marché
And we made love on Rue Dauphine

In one fell swoop, I was floating again
And the Atlantic rocked me to sleep
I rose from my siesta to the sound of guitars
In the spirited amorous Spain

Gaudi took my hand in the Barcelona sun
As my Gael chased pigeons in Park Güell
I said silent prayers at Basilica Sagrada Familia
In the city of forefathers and godsons

In my dizzy drunk spell I could no longer tell
Where this enchanting stroll would go next
Trembling joyfully I fell to my knees
And stars made swirls around my head
I was the world today, and forever
And the world was me

Story ID:	1735
Written by:	Tish Valles (bio, link, contact, other stories)
Organization:	The Writing Salon
Story type:	Poem
Location:	Manila Philippines
Year:	2007