The River at Dusk

The river at dusk
bustle before nightfall
fishermen arrive with the last of the days catch
their red, green, and gold painted wooden boats and similarly colored flapping flags
color up the scene
as women in brightly colored pangas cart fish away on their head
the rest of the catch lies out on the ground in piles, ready to be bought
kids play in beached pyrogues, pretending to steer and captain -
they're put to work untangling nets too.
the sky is full of abstract dots -
birds flying in ones and twos and clusters for the night
there's a buzz of activity in all directions
but here, I'm perched on an abandoned structure along the river
away from the world 
but so close to home