An old village woman carries
a giant wicker basket of hay,

eight times the size of her body,
like piggy-backing a baby elephant,

balanced on the back of her shoulders.
Her handbag rests between

the dirt-crusted basket
and the back of her wrapped head.

She puts the basket down by the dung heap,
puts her handbag on the hay.

It is a Gucci knock-off.

© 2001 Justin Chin. From "Little Everest in Your Palm," a poem series in Harmless Medicine. Forthcoming, July 2001, Manic D Press.