ms. chen said so

he was playing the guitar
serenading one of his friends
his feet were dirty, folded up underneath him on the bed
I sat at the desk and drew his feet

H2O

In Keelung, the air is so thick with moisture, trees sprout roots from their branches.  Exposed, they drink the humidity that drips down my neck.  Water becomes rust oxidizing cranes that lift moldy cargo and drills that rotate through wet earth.  Fast moving clouds flirt with the idea of sprinkles and this country needs a towel.

Juming was landscaped with toxic plants

hunk of rock molded from a mountainous cast
delicate power lines spanning the mouths of leafed valleys
and sandy shores pockmarked with skyscrapers of vertical lives
witness gaudy temples ornament dirty dumpling streets and convenient stores
globalism on a neon island
perfect nature and poison trees

Taiwanese photography

pictures I didn't take:

A line of two dozen scooters boasting an envious palette, lining a busy street of seven elevens and ginger tea. Neon signs of strokes and characters glitter off their pearly painted surfaces, and I quicken my pace to catch up with my guide, always three steps ahead.


His hair breeze blown at the crest of Wai Mu Chan. Behind him, a backdrop of misted harbor and salt crusted rock piercing a blue sky. Rusty ships skate across a calm surface leaving debris and bubbles in their wake. "Do you want me to take a picture of you two?" I laugh openly as his eyes roll at the thought of "pair." We pose artificially leaving awkward and empty in our wake.


Parade! A small man in a shabby white t-shirt mumbles "key" under his breath. Through the bus window, his eyes follow mine follow rain sprinkled trucks garnished in fresh lilies and he says "key" a little louder. Clothing racks dressed in ornate silver cloth and golden embroidery roll over sewer grates and puddles. "Key!" I glance behind me and catch his eye. His lids flutter and ask, "key?" Our gaze is broken by the blare of silver bugles and tassles swinging from pursed mouths and puffed cheeks. Key exits the bus and I absent-mindedly check my map.