In late autumn
We eat bean paste cake
Light paper lanterns, and celebrate
Under the glow of the moon.
Other days
My heart wanders
Past school and the foreign words I speak
Into Chinatown, where
Once again
I cross the red bridge
Under which koi fish swim
In circles, opening and closing their mouths.
I do the same
Catching and feeding breadcrumbs
Each word I understand
Is a sign that yes, this is home
As long as I blend in
Without a sound
Keep my withered roots
Beneath the ground
I'll teach myself
The pieces I've lost
So someday, my uncertain smile
Isn't what sets me apart.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
YOU ARE READING
Cement City
PoetryHow to capture it all? I was no photographer My paint brushes, I have retired And words simply do not belong On a cover The same way they fit In my mouth, or march along the surface Of these pages. How to capture it all? The sounds, the smells, the...
