From high upon a shelf of treasured books,
He took a tome of pages wrapped in silk,
Its edges tinted with a trace of gold
A manuscript with maps of all the world.

Ah! Singapore, a tiny dot in print-
Then up to Bangkok, Chendu and Tibet,
Across big China, down to busy Hong Kong.
And south beyond the Coral Sea to Sidney.
Next a jump above two oceans to Brazil.
As my finger stretches to familiar shores
Miami, London, Paris, Munich, Moscow.
All different worlds; exciting to explore.

Reflecting on these well-trod paths for years.
A modern Marco Polo says it best
"A home is only where my family lives-
All else is just a shelter called house."