On a Yangtze Riverboat

On the vast water
of the Yangtze River
distant mountains
raise forest sails
beyond the dipping nets of fishermen

as our boat approaches
a necklace of beads
ivory, gold, ebony
drawn through the water
they enlarge to a line of barges
and slip by
with loads of potash, grain and coal

at night the boat docks
and from the upper decks
we foreigners watch
on the crowded pier
a commotion of bicycles
wooden chests and baskets

under shoulder poles
bending with weighted ends
human figures emerge
and one by one
step onto the gangway
to board the ship

the woman at the gate
hair permed into waves
as if on an evening date
takes tickets
pushes
pulls
grabs a man's shoulder
hurls loud blows
from her angry mouth
swiftly bends to catch a few coins dropped

money we would not think to measure
counted out with such ferocious precision

those of us on the upper deck
live even more sheltered
than does the Chinese child I watch
on the lower deck
held protected
in the padded arms
of its blue-jacketed parent.