Unga Bunga

I spent the early days of Summer 2001
playing ping pong with King Kong
in Hong Kong

He was on the Atkins diet
and had lost 9000 pounds
He looked very thin and long
so I offered him a Ding Dong
and watched his giant hand
fling it onto his starving tongue

As his fang sank into the Dong
his smile betrayed a tingling feeling
and a longing to once again be young
He said So long! to Atkins’ bunk, and yes
to destroying a throng of Ding Dongs

This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship

Hong Kong had just transitioned
from the UK to China
The city was tense and strung out
Kong and I ended up finding solace
in drinking strong spirits
and playing ping pong

We saw In the Mood for Love
at the Broadway Cinematheque
in Yau Ma Tei
It was the most beautiful sadness I'd seen yet
We did not talk for an hour afterwards
We silently walked on the street side by side
slowly into a cafe
where we sat down in silence

In the early days of Summer 2001
I kissed King Kong on the lips