Be Like Those You Remember (Part 1) (1975)

Be like the Japanese woman
Who sits and plays the samisen
In melodious tune that tells no story
And remembers to remind us of tomorrow

Be like the Japanese man
Who practices the art of the bow
While silently combining Zen thought
And dreaming of wasted memories

And that of the Cambodian boy
Who grew his fingernails and painted them silver
In hopes that someone would join his soul
And relate their thoughts to him

The Cambodian woman
Who disliked the Vietnamese woman holding her head
Above her child's rice bowl
And placing his hands upon the hashi encouraging him to eat

Oh, our silent memories
How they fade into oblivion
Like the water that shimmered in the fading sunlight
On a lake where we once together mingled in contemplative thought

Be Like Those You Remember (Part 2) (1975)

Be like boys and girls
Who watched the sun rise
Over the misty waters
And greeted a new day

Be like the encouraging and helpful people
Who tried to teach them what they would never learn
And for reasons unknown become transparent spirits
In a life that offers opportunity they cannot understand

Be like the seductive Polynesian
Who dances on a shiny floor
And intrigues you with his mystical coordination
Your mind escaping as your body loses control

Be like the Siamese
Who wore golden rings about their ankles
And watched you as you invaded their kingdom
The sparkling eyes of an unsure civilization

Be like those you wondered about
And how they used you advantageously
Remembering that night when he sat and cried
Curiously wondering how much you cared