Sampela Poetry

The group has had an amazing time in Sampela and after reflecting on such a wonderful cultural and personal experience, we are getting ready to say goodbye to a place so unlike our American home. A place where we learned to spearfish, spent a lot of our day on the sea, and learned about the diverse and very different culture that is the Bajau people. We know that these experiences will live within our minds and hearts forever. As we are getting ready to wrap up the last portion of our trip we wanted to write some light hearted haiku’s about our time here.

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Houses are on stilts

We spear fish everyday

Beautiful sunsets

 

Sampela is hot

I poop into the ocean

Ayam? No, ikan

 

Watch out for sea snakes

Sometimes I fall through the planks

The stars are so bright

 

Ink is everywhere

Bapak killed the octopus

Octopus kebab

 

The canoe is small

The ocean leaks into it

I fear I will fall

 

The tide comes and goes

What will Bapak catch today?

Will it be besar?

 

They all speak Bajau

I just speak Indonesian

I am confusion

 

I shoot the big fish

Just a cloud of scales and blood

Dimana ikan?

 

The kids love to play

They always stop to say “hey”

As I’m on my way

 

We dance with the kids

Alex tries to do the worm

The kids one up her

 

I am sad to go

I will always remember

Our time on the sea