I Am From

 
I am from rice porridge soup, pleah sach ko,
prahok ktiss, nom banh chok and somlar machu kroeung,
lemongrass, turmeric, galangal, kaffir lime leaves, garlic and chilies
crushed and grinded in a mortar and pestle into a fine golden paste.

I am from the soil of tropical monsoons and the seasons of dry and rain,
silk looms for sompot, gold thread blouse, and hand-woven shawl,
majestic wooden stilt homes and gable roof,
a lost piece of the puzzle of Angkor’s mysteries.

I am from “I want to live a life of understanding,”
“All things are interconnected,”
“Actions have consequences,”
“Be mindful of actions that can spawn suffering.”

I am from a place that is healing from a tragic past,
Two thousand years of tradition diminished in four years.
To remember is hard.
To forget is to leave behind who you are.

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(Featured image by Flickr user Thomas Hawk)