Written piece
Somewhere in Pattaya…
Tahmin Fatma Barkati
India
About this piece
This poem is a tribute to the women of Pattaya (Thailand), the resilience of the human spirit and the invisible labour that holds the city together.
Somewhere in Pattaya…
Somewhere in Pattaya, on one of the many beaches…
Where the end of the day is embraced by darkness,
In hope of new beginnings and possibilities.
Where the sun sets to give way to the light,
To the countless stars that twinkle through the night.
Where hardships are veiled beneath bare skin
and creased, pigmented lips of novice teens.
Lips that curve between smoke rings and wild sips,
Wading through music, twirling and swaying hips.
With glances and touches, they weave through the night,
Until the first appearance of light…
When the tasks end, dreams take flight.
But somewhere in Pattaya, on one of the many beaches…
When the first ray of light falls on the glistening shore,
Life reveals its harshness, for it demands more.
Slowly, as the music recedes and the crowd disperses, the playful city sinks into slumber.
You sit in one of the quaint beach shacks and hear the waves whisper a silent hymn of surrender.
Once you start settling under the blue sky, with your legs stretched,
The ache of adventure lingers with dreams far-fetched.
Amidst the sandy bed, you spot faces thin,
Unsteady, they wander with relentless sufferings within.
Wrinkled faces with a tired smile,
Fingers shivering, and gait no longer agile.
Dressed modestly, in a parched hat and boots threadbare
Age has sunk in, but poverty did not spare.
Once youthful and full of flair,
Now they wander, burdened by hopelessness and despair.
Carrying baskets full of fruit or sundried squids, prawns, and fish,
Or sometimes a bag full of native dishes,
Filling the air with a pungent whiff,
Or they may come, smile, and offer you a massage for quick relief.
Your aching legs might need one, but your heart may refuse it in disbelief.
Such a precious little old woman, how elegant she must have been!
Once-glorious, her beauty paled into a graceful allure that none has seen.
Once a vision of youth, now a tapestry,
Woven with pain, denial, and morality.
If you refuse, she will quickly look the other way,
Undaunted, she leaves with a nimble sway.
You remain seated, in the shade, and feel the afternoon breeze growing warm,
The shacks are closed for the day, and the young girls have gone aside,
Here life ebbs and flows like the tide,
Where every sunset brings a burden anew,
It's somewhere in Pattaya, on one of the many beaches….