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increase
decreaseBangkok Don Juan
Book the Second
Canto the Second
Gogo Guru
I
How to fill up his holiday was what
Jim tried to work out, now that he was done
With girls and gogo bars and things like that.
Temples and palaces were not much fun,
Diving? - no he hated getting wet,
Sunbathing? - no he didn’t like the sun.
And then he thought - forget it! - I can look
And fancy it even though I cannot f...fulfil a girl’s desires.
II
And so he went to P _ _ _ E _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ ,
A show bar where the girls dance in the buff.
He was impressed by their dancing attainment,
And by the sight of every boob and muff,
But after two whole hours of such containment,
Jim couldn’t wait to get back in the rough -
A real gogo bar where girls will f...fondle,
Although - of course - he only meant to look.
III
He’d missed the shows in A _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ last trip
But here there was a bar of the same name.
He’d heard there was a show where dancers strip
And soap each other naked without shame
While music from the Rolling Stones lets rip -
A combination anything but tame.
But it was long past ten o’clock - oh no! -
He’d come too late and he had missed the show.
IV
He settled down and bought himself a beer,
And soon got chatting to another guy.
“My name is Jim.” “I’m Dan. What brings you here?”
“The girls, of course!” Jim laughed, “you can’t deny
That’s why we’re all here!” Dan, sounding sincere,
Replied, “But, there’s another reason why -
Seeking enlightenment is in my stars.”
Jim’s mind boggled: “What! in gogo bars!”
V
“We have to balance Artha, Dharma, Kama:
In simple terms, that’s Wealth, Virtue and Pleasure.
As for the first, I was a wealthy farmer,
Before I chose retirement and leisure.
As for the next, with monk and holy palmer,
I have shared meditations beyond measure...”
“It’s Double Dutch to me!” said Jim, “Calm-me
Down - ’arf-a mo - d’Arma-geddon - barmy!”
VI
“...Blake wrote a proverb: ‘The road of excess
Leads to the place of wisdom’. I have tried
The road of self-denial - it’s a mess;
It doesn’t work for me, though far and wide
I’ve sought, in temple and in wilderness,
And now I’m trying this.” Then Jim replied,
“Yes, this is great, but why pretend somehow
It’s spiritual?” “Because it is!” “Well, how?”
VII
“Because you need self-discipline here too,
Just like a monk engaged in meditation.
In Pattaya, whate’er you want to do
You can do - that’s a testing situation;
A fire that, if it does not consume you,
Will fill you with enlightened exaltation.”
Jim laughed and said, “We all like roly-poly,
But that doesn’t mean to say it’s wholly holy.”
VIII
“Just think of what you do and how it feels
When you decide to come out here.” (Jim smirked)
“First, you question long-cherished ideals,
Then you face your fear (many have shirked
That supreme test and now they kick their heels
At home, unhappy, unloved, overworked)
And then you meet a girl, your passions churning,
And make mistakes - and then you’re really learning.
IX
Jim said, “Could you give some advice to me?”
And told the story of his lost erection.
Dan pondered, then replied, “I think I see:
Your problem’s simple; it is your selection
Of girls - you’ve got to find a chemistry
Between the two of you - just a confection
Of tits and ass won’t give what you expect -
She’s got to like you too - you must connect.”
X
They talked for ages once they had begun
Until the bar seemed like a kind of temple,
The garish light, a peaceful, setting sun,
The music like a Gamelan (par exemple),
The boss, a monk, the mamasan, a nun,
And every gogo girl a Shirley Temple;
Jim learned a lot, and though he didn’t buy it
All, thought it might help a bit - he’d try it.
© Bangkok Byron, 2007. All rights reserved by the author.
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