The sound of the propeller blade On the sea plane strains My already pained brain I got a migraine I hate flying But there was no train Could've came by boat though But I heard the locals are loco Violent and vocal When it comes to strangers On their river It's oh so dangerous Fresh water pirates and corrupt rangers Head nodding and bobbing Lolling and throbbing Back of elephant Up the river bank Plodding, plotting and scheming Heard tales of curses and demons I'll certainly heed 'em Don't necessarily believe 'em It's scary in the evening At least in the opinion Of my opium steaming Laotian guide Land locked, ain't seen an Ocean tide his whole life With his own eyes His niece is his pride and joy She came along for the ride And has An astonishing Knowledge of the Forested area Inland from the riverbanks I follow 'em Through the village Once pillaged by French colonists And now they all Communist The clouds blow ominous promises But my mind is wandering Mental images of monuments and temples Welcome to the jungle As uncle Khahm Leads us along the jungle In between the Mekong Alternates shrines, altars Packs a Walther, his niece Thahng That's what he called her Sings a sweet song She's a looker Petite bronze Long legs and seems strong Takes point as guide Turn deeper on Heavy Asian Vegetation Ferns, trees Could be hiding Burmese tigers Serpents, vipers After a night of encampment On an embankment Tarantulas and army ants dancing On my blanket A clearing through vines dangling A 17th century monastery No buried gold Or diamond quarry Just a very old Idol, that's my quarry Powerful, unrivaled Supernatural Buddhist statue Sure to grant you Improved movement And constitution But heard it's the hardest of targets Has guardians and watchmen I scoff across what was once a garden As I cross the threshold Into darkness Goosebumps My flesh cold Thahng grabs a torch and says "Let's go!" Me and her uncle share a glance I feel exposed but I Throw that to the wind And make my way into the labyrinth in back of them Upon entry The strong scent of the Dust and must of centuries gone Long centipedes crawl on the wall Khahm mentioned to me "Prepare mentally" But I ain't never scared Aware of stares From unseen sentries: Demon reliefs Their bejeweled eyes follow attentively Heathen beliefs Ornate, adorned, sparkle in the light of the torch Shadowy forms through cavernous doors The pitter patter of critters scattering on the floor Then there it is Unassuming yet incredible On a small pedestal My head is full of lust so I rush Make haste, no time to waste Grab the statue up Here come Khahm with his sword drawn Thahng screams, I grab her by the arm, I'm gone Turn around and see her uncle transform into beast form OH SHIT Look back again now he's got a million minions A dark army, but the idol's brilliance, I'm feelin' it Ask her why she ain't warn me, she calmly said "sorry, But surely you realize the Buddha's body is godly" Told her "don't worry, hurry" Boulders and bullwhips, blurry light at the end of the tunnel Shoulder holsters, I pull it Shoot a few bullets back then Put it back in All the while booking Packing heat, flashing feet Sliding under the gate closing--once agape open, But they ain't trapping me Down a hill, cliff grappling Look behind, after them Grab a vine, she grasping my abdomen, align our spines adjacent Placing her waist with mine Land facing An open spacing Another clearing I think we made it Fade to black