floor no. 3
mannequin haus////////////
  • JESS MIZE
  • TRICIA KNOLL
  • PAUL EDWARD COSTA
  • KYLE HEMMINGS
  • ROBERT CRISP
  • ESTLIN AGNEW
  • TOM MONTAG
  • JAMES CROAL JACKSON
  • Jacklyn Janeksela
  • GRYPHYN GREENSTONE
  • MARK J. MITCHELL
  • EDWARD AHERN
  • ZACHARY SCOTT HAMILTON
  • JULIA LAXER
  • SUDEEP ADHIKARI
  • JESS MIZE
  • TRICIA KNOLL
  • PAUL EDWARD COSTA
  • KYLE HEMMINGS
  • ROBERT CRISP
  • ESTLIN AGNEW
  • TOM MONTAG
  • JAMES CROAL JACKSON
  • Jacklyn Janeksela
  • GRYPHYN GREENSTONE
  • MARK J. MITCHELL
  • EDWARD AHERN
  • ZACHARY SCOTT HAMILTON
  • JULIA LAXER
  • SUDEEP ADHIKARI
floor no. 3
mannequin haus////////////

estlin agnew

/

Cornered in a park

hours into living

on this side of the world

students ask to practice

their English


I said What is the most beautiful thing

in this country? the young man

answers first The ow yai

the traditional dress that goes like this

and he showed me with his hands how it’s cut

up the leg


I said But I mean like a place?

and the girls suggest a town

in the mountains



All the teachers wear them except one[1] and

in pairs they cross the school’s courtyard

weaving between

regiments of students

lining up for class

long silk tunics trailing

bold prints and floral patterns

behind them


[1]Twee says Some people say

the ow yai is the best national dress

better than the Malaysia or Japan or Korea or do do do do

because if you have a nice body it will show it. But

some people say it is the worst

because if you have a bad body

she finishes her sentence with a nod

and a wave



The high school uniform for young men is a short sleeved shirt and slacks

Young women wear the ow yai[2]


Nervous though she shouldn’t be

One is fidgeting with her tunic

I ask What do you hope to do?


She says I hope to

wraps her fists up in tunic

To become

unfurls the the white silk

A petroleum engineer

and gets a perfect score


she smooths her ow yai

drapes it over her knees

Yes. To make a lot of money


[2]Twee likes them all white

I ask Like a student’s?

she nods and I say I think that with black pants

looks nice


Oh. she says They wear that in the west

really!

Because they take boats to school

so they will get dirty



The text book asks Is your country

more traditional or modern?

and Mr. John says Traditional

I think so. Yes.


Women side straddle on motorbikes

in tight skirts and cute helmets

designed to keep their hair in place

even the ow yai belies his choice

to me[3]

I ask Really?


[3]Twee says That is called the magical triangle

Looking through her fingers and thumbs with one eye

at me Or mystical? Emotional? I don’t know

waves the little shape away


The cut of the tunic

and trousers waist

don’t meet but frame

a bit of skin

on the woman’s side

about the size of a nose


At Lunar New Year Twee’s sister says

In the city the market women saw my mother and said

Oh. We have heard about the ow ba ba but never seen one

And she wears it in all the pictures

standing next to Twee who’s

for the first time that I’ve seen

wearing an ow yai

and I on her other side am thinking of

that young man in the park


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