Place Mats

I am in my 30s
When I find at an
Obscure Asian shop
Plastic place mats of
Geishas in colorful bulky
Somewhat salacious poses,
Kimonos but repellent in their
Garishness and then I turn
One over and behold the
Exquisite beauty of the
Famous Chinese Ming
Dynasty landscapes
Of everyday life on
China’s riverboats
Roads rooftops all
In detail almost
As if one were
Traveling the
Byways of
China so
I bought
All the
Place mats of
A dozen scenes
Each a story in itself
And ate meals using them
Often gazing at the various
Mat landscapes never
Tiring of their allure
Always careful not
To put the Geisha
Side up always
Looking for a
Print of the
Originals
I never
Found though
I later made my own
Place mats coloring my
Pen and ink landscapes I’d
Sketched 50 years earlier
A tree in yellow a boat
In blue to give to my
Siblings to enjoy
Hoping they
Would do
The same with
Their art or photos
And hope springs eternal.
Who knows, one day I
May run into Hong
Xiuquan walking
Along some
Place mat
Or print
Road.