I Follow Her

we have to go call a taxi
the light by the store isn’t working
the night is black
the moon is dark tonight
I follow her scent
she knows the way
into and over the rocks
around the betel nut and coconut palms

you just arrived from Hawai’i
and here you are walking around in the dark
she laughs currents that echo
our voices flow down the river
through the mango leaves
over to Pohn Paip and up to Pohn Pwet

I follow her short, plump figure
the glimmer of the flowers on her mwumwu
her breath
the night air, clean
when we reach the road
I look up at Saladak stars