Doug Sylver

Jarring

I like everything about Hanoi, Vietnam. Except the motorbikes. Three stories  above the street, the cafe balcony is covered with green vines. An egg coffee for me. A salted coffee for you. The calm above the fray.

In the restaurant, pho bo and ga. Bahn mi and mi quang. Air-conditioned peace and quiet.

And in our hotel room, on the top floor away from the street. Silent nights. Holy nights.

But on the street, chaos. Scooters swarming like wasps from every direction. Trusting there’s a method. Slowly realizing it’s only madness to the novice’s eyes.

That the experts truly know what they’re doing.

in a tourist shop
a woman 
in the back
bottling rice wine
with snake heads 

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About the Author

Doug Sylver’s writing can be found in Drifting Sands, The Sun Magazine, The New York Times, and Fixator Press, among other publications. He is a recently retired public high school teacher and lives with his love, Monica, in Seattle.

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