Real feelings, real surroundings
Strolling moonlit steps wet embroidered shoes,
Deepening cold dew ascending orchid stairs.
Cloud-covered moon light, our vague rues,
United together new poems for hearts' brief amuse.
Beitou
Thick forest, dark green covers low mountains at dusk
Green streams full of bare rocks in hot springs
The resort cannot keep springtime from leaving
Azaleas bloom, rambling orioles sing
All these years, I wrote several poems about Beitou, but chose this one to represent them.
Monday, May 27, 2013
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Hard times
1984 Mid-Autumn Entry
Golden Orchids set a date to celebrate mid-autumn.
Tug on sleeves, open up, sing rounds together.
Moon Goddess, where will you go tonight?
I'll follow the moonlight to Lonely Tower.
- Golden Orchids was probably the name of my grandmother's poetry group
- You can read more about Moon Goddess--a fabled lady who stole the elixir that gave eternal youth from an emperor and then fled to the moon.
2/28
Taiwan had a most unfortunate event. When it happened, I was there. At first, I didn't want to say anything about 2/28, but after I read Mr. Chen's poem, I felt compelled to respond with another poem.
No wind on the ocean, yet waves foment.
Furthermore, mountain clouds change and shift rapidly.
Breakers crash over this land next to the South Sea.
At this time, the end of spring, rain beats down.*
When the frost comes, cypress and pine drop needles later.
The setting sun, nothing save some smoke and a few evening clouds.
Forecast next year's flowers will be better.
Finished reading poem, don't take it lightly.
*After of 2/28 there were several days of heavy rain, because of that the death toll was less than it could have been.
Golden Orchids set a date to celebrate mid-autumn.
Tug on sleeves, open up, sing rounds together.
Moon Goddess, where will you go tonight?
I'll follow the moonlight to Lonely Tower.
- Golden Orchids was probably the name of my grandmother's poetry group
- You can read more about Moon Goddess--a fabled lady who stole the elixir that gave eternal youth from an emperor and then fled to the moon.
2/28
Taiwan had a most unfortunate event. When it happened, I was there. At first, I didn't want to say anything about 2/28, but after I read Mr. Chen's poem, I felt compelled to respond with another poem.
No wind on the ocean, yet waves foment.
Furthermore, mountain clouds change and shift rapidly.
Breakers crash over this land next to the South Sea.
At this time, the end of spring, rain beats down.*
When the frost comes, cypress and pine drop needles later.
The setting sun, nothing save some smoke and a few evening clouds.
Forecast next year's flowers will be better.
Finished reading poem, don't take it lightly.
*After of 2/28 there were several days of heavy rain, because of that the death toll was less than it could have been.
Sunday, May 05, 2013
Location anniversary
On the first anniversary of living in Taiwan
Coming from far away to these islands, pioneering empty wilderness
Looking back over the past year, recording key events
Ten-thousand streets flow together to return homeward to ocean land*
Sky-wide dawning colors cover the whole territory
Whole body full of treasures for people to praise and sing
Bamboo rains and orchid winds at your command
Greatest happiness: after recovering the old land,
Politic map shows new expansion to Pung Hu
*many people struggle and fought to arrive first
Xinzhu (new bamboo) is on the western side and Yilan (suited for orchids) is on the eastern side. But Taiwanese usually associated Xinzhu with wind and Yilan with rain. Here my grandfather has intentionally switched them to make the point that they can be ordered anyway you wish.
My great-grandfather was born in 1866. He worked ten acres of inherited land, and when he was old, he went to live with my mom's family in Taipei, sometime before 1949 when the Communists took over. My great uncle died on a ship wreck during Chinese New Years. My mom remembers my great grandfather being very sad. She still feels a little guilty thinking about her widowed aunt and her three male cousins who remained in China during Communist takeover.
When they didn't have much food to eat, they would eat hot peppers and some rice.
My mom remembers her grandfather saying that even if his son hadn't been educated, if he wasn't working in banking in Taiwan, he would have been a very good farmer--he was very proud of my grandfather.
Coming from far away to these islands, pioneering empty wilderness
Looking back over the past year, recording key events
Ten-thousand streets flow together to return homeward to ocean land*
Sky-wide dawning colors cover the whole territory
Whole body full of treasures for people to praise and sing
Bamboo rains and orchid winds at your command
Greatest happiness: after recovering the old land,
Politic map shows new expansion to Pung Hu
*many people struggle and fought to arrive first
Xinzhu (new bamboo) is on the western side and Yilan (suited for orchids) is on the eastern side. But Taiwanese usually associated Xinzhu with wind and Yilan with rain. Here my grandfather has intentionally switched them to make the point that they can be ordered anyway you wish.
My great-grandfather was born in 1866. He worked ten acres of inherited land, and when he was old, he went to live with my mom's family in Taipei, sometime before 1949 when the Communists took over. My great uncle died on a ship wreck during Chinese New Years. My mom remembers my great grandfather being very sad. She still feels a little guilty thinking about her widowed aunt and her three male cousins who remained in China during Communist takeover.
When they didn't have much food to eat, they would eat hot peppers and some rice.
My mom remembers her grandfather saying that even if his son hadn't been educated, if he wasn't working in banking in Taiwan, he would have been a very good farmer--he was very proud of my grandfather.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
