Cambodia on the Bayou

Charlie Burns-Bahruth

Pink azaleas bloom under a sunny southern sky,

Palm trees stand tall along the Gulf Coast,

I feel a cool spring breeze as I look out onto the water,

And take a sip of cool refreshing sweet tea.

This is the Deep South.

I find myself in Alabama,

It could be a scene from Forrest Gump,

Or History Channel’s “Big Shrimpin’”

Though what I came here for, was a taste of

Southeast Asia.

Bayou La Batre.

A place where Lao Wats

Stand beside Vietnamese Churches.

And where Cambodian prahok,

Rivals Southern BBQ.

About the author:

My name is Charlie Burns-Bahruth, and I was adopted from Cambodia, and grew up in New York State. I am reconnecting with my Khmer culture, and learning from an adopted Khmer elder, in Alabama.