River Chavon

rambo collects the turistas
hotel by hotel
on the small bus
with broken air conditioning

once they are seated
row after row
behind the crazy driver
he tells them hello
my name is rambo - so you are very safe today
familia rambo, i take much care of you

he tells them how the day will unfold,
plane, bus, village
paddle steamer down the River chavon
where I made my films he grins
then speedboat to Saona

there is much excitment
laughter, chatter, he talks rapidly -
on autopilot
no longer seeing the beauty
or feeling the heat that catches
the breath of the familia Rambo

they pass broken down shanty towns
where skinny dogs and skinnier children
laugh and play in the dirt
the crazy driver hurls the bus
through busy town streets
where walnut skinned men sit
chatting in doorways on rickety chairs
drinking from bottles, shotguns resting
between their thighs,
they wave at the turistas - smile for the camera?

Altos de Chavon, dolls house
for giants, made on a whim
by papa after his princess' dream
waits patiently, lies- time after time
here I stand, 16th century village
built in 1976 - americano
demasiado dinero loco

Rambo meets his gathered familia
outside St Stanislaus
herds them down the 200 steps
to the River Chavon onboard the River Prince
he tells them - Familia Rambo
you look very tired - need much veetamins
as he passes round the sweet Dominican rum
Dominican veetamins he states
good for you

the speedboat stops alongside
the paddle steamer
turistas lurch shakily down
the current and the veetamins
testing their balance
more veetamins shouts Rambo
they slam across the waves
veetamins sloppin, right arm aloft
arriba, abaho, merengue

el Caribe hermoso beckons
starfish big as kale pots
tiny fish that dart and flick
through water bluey green
turistas splash and drink and smile
blister in the sun

back on the boat they shout and wave
to passing catamarans
holiday camaraderie
at Saona the heats been turned up a notch
the barbequed food, the rice, the peppers
wait patiently for them
they descend like ants, two by two
splashing into the salty sea

Rambo sneaks off
sleeps for an hour or three
cool beneath the palms
turistas - mad dogs all of them
drink, eat and soak up the mid day sunshine
Familia Rambo - lets go, the pirates wait
rambo herds them up- like a shepherd he counts heads
as they board the catamaran

they sail for two hours
more veetamins, more merengue
more sunshine, more more
as they clamber to the shore
small boys rush forward
dousing their feet with water
holding out their hands for pesos
or dollars, artists push forward
mire ven, mire ven
the canvas's brighter than the flowers
bold, demanding attention

on the bus back to Punta Cana
the crazy drivers
been replaced
by a crazy driver
with a toothless smile
who shouts to everyone who gets on
merengue?
on the plane the turistas sleep
or dream through the dirty glass windows
of home, where the hills and mountains
are green and lush and beautiful
beautiful like home.

SK. June 06