The Shan People & Poetry
Maybe I will write a poem today…
I read a quote by poet John Berryman that went like this: “You should always be trying to write a poem you are unable to write, a poem you lack the technique, the language, the courage to achieve.”
Sounds like my contemplation and challenge for the day.
I’ve been blogging, keeping up by email with close friends and confidants. Not to mention renting an e-scooter and spending idle afternoons at the hot springs, the caves today, the market tonight. I came for 4 nights; I’ve now extended to a full week - ☺️. o
Chiang Dao is a small village, a 3-block downtown disappearing into countryside. There are many Shan refugees from Myanmar (Burma) here, which give it an overlay flavor, certainly at the markets.
My loveliest host, Mod, is teaching me bit-by-bit as I ask questions. She also makes me such a big breakfast; it was three meals worth yesterday! She usually prepares it the night before, puts it in the fridge. This morning I could smell the cooking when I went out to make coffee around 8:30, and she brought it freshly-prepared to my table: stir-fried vegetables, a pho (soup) and fresh fruit. She bought fresh-ground coffee too! Her favorite roast, she smiled and confided.
I think she appreciates that I’m staying on, that I said it was beautiful and peaceful here. And we get along.
(stock photo)
The Shan
The Shan people in Myanmar face escalating conflict, humanitarian crises, displacement, and human rights abuses, intensified by the 2021 coup, with their state becoming a volatile battleground for the military junta and numerous Ethnic Armed Organizations (EAOs), complicated by illicit economies, and increased instability driven by powerful regional actors like China. While most live rural subsistence lives, they are caught in the crossfire, suffering from displacement, exploitation, and a lack of legal status, leading many to flee to Thailand as refugees or undocumented migrants, facing further risks.
Young Shan Woman
(stock photo)