Old woods

Four Times (Seasons) by Jing dynasty poet Gu Kaizi (345-411 A.D.)

Spring water fills four heads.
Summer clouds form unique crests.
Autumn moon beams bright rays.
Winter peak grows lone pine.

Famous scholar and artist.
Qing qi su hua (music, chess, calligraphy, painting)


The House on Forest Street

The flowers and trees on Forest Street grow into a wood.
Birds on the branch, sing out good news.
The lawn around the house turns a new green.
Peaceful dwelling satisfies the old heart's garden.

When I visited Brookings, Sudong and Qingyu had already lived there more than ten years. The house is clean and neat, the big lawn, and in the morning the birds sing. This is a good place for peaceful living. 

My uncle Sudong, whose house this poem is the subject of, recently moved to Seattle and is having a hard time adjusting. My mom thought it so timely that we read this poem. She told him that when my grandpa moved to the States, he had a hard time adjusting too.