Shanghai 1969

I
don’t
recall
much beyond
heat, smells, temples, parks
dripping blood on The Bund one night
John’s
eyes
went dark
he dragged me
across a bridge, threw
me into the Huangpu River
gone
just
like that
disappeared
because now I was
not-child, not-loved, not Sally Scott
John-
o-
boy please
not my fault
come back, I cannot
swim, I have lost my coolie hat