Ten months, ten years

Reply to Di Zong's letters

Bored just thinking of doing something unconventional
Suddenly received stationery paper from old country
Old friend all's well still writing poems
Pleasant refrains tell me talk heart matter

Ten months didn't see your brush strokes
Often times afar thinking expecting good news
Today happens to be month's second day
In past for sure together one place 

Now I can only think back when
Those things happened will never repeat again
Today I respectfully respond with one poem
Tell how I've been doing these years


- About the house my mom was born in and lived in until she was ten: 49, Lane 197 at the end corner of Gubuo Gongyu. They lived in the French Concession of Shanghai. Each unit was three floors: my mom's family (oddly) occupied the first and third floors while a different family (a mom with two daughters and a son--last name Wang) lived on the second floor. The kitchen, living room and dining room was on the first floor and there was one bedroom on the third floor with two beds--one for my grandparents and one for the kids (my mom and her two brothers).
- Guba is a phonetic of a French General's name
- After they moved to Taiwan, my mom's aunts lived in the apartment.
- My mom remembers the big pretty oleander tree with red blossoms in the back yard.
- My mom told me a story about one time she and her little brother saved a sweet potato and an orange to eat in bed under their 'tunnel' as they slept feet-to-feet. They went to bed, pushed each other's feet and then went under the covers to meet in their tunnel. Unwrapping the paper they kept the eats in was so loud, my grandpa noticed and came over to discover the night snack. She was about seven at the time, so her little brother was four.

In Shanghai for more than ten years we rented an apartment on Guba Road. After I moved to Taiwan, we continued to pay rent there and had our relatives take care of it. If we can fight to return to mainland China, maybe we can go back to live there.

My humble house

Simple ordinary life more than ten years
Inexpensive rent paid to keep humble house

Oleander tree wearing red shades windows doors
Short shrubs growing green covers back steps

Sparse parlor chairs warmth often staying guests
Small room lamp lit nighttime reading books

Lake sea travel around finally have rest
Though much wind rain still peaceful living