Tonle Sap’s Swellings*
Her body bloats aggressively for only half the year,
water overflows, guiding her to dance the opposite direction.
Villagers living among her body rejoice in cheer,
as fishes of all kinds gather in her belly with affection.
From there they practice the art of making prahok,
not just food, it is culture, identity and resilience.
It is fermented fish paste with all of the luck,
and feeds the people that are not oblivious.
Villagers do not find this natural phenomenon a struggle,
cradled upon her waves in their stilt wooden dwellings.
Nearby temples hold countless ancient carvings made so regal,
detailing the bountiful gifts from her natural swellings.
*
*The Tonle Sap is the largest freshwater lake located in the middle of Cambodia. Over the wet season from May to October, substantial rains throughout Southeast Asia in addition to the melting snow from northern Tibet causes an excess of floods in the Mekong River. Its excess waters take an alternate, north-western route up the Tonle Sap River into the Tonle Sap Lake, swelling it up to five times than its dry season size. Additionally raising the water levels up to 10 meters higher, making it the only river in the world flowing in both directions yearly.
(Featured photo by Daniel Mennerich)