This is a traditional Chinese pen, an artifact
\nCombining a wolf\u2019s wildness with a baby\u2019s
\nInnocence. It is soft but strong enough to
\nWrite dark history in rice fields, or draw
\nBlack pictures on rice paper. All in black
\nAnd white. Unlike the feather from a swan
\nThat can fly up from an alphabetic epic<\/p>\n
Yes, it is a colourless feeling the writer
\nOr the painter gets, from his inky strokes<\/p>\n
Says Confucius, the speech Nor will I put up any fight You call me, my words do not We come, we see, we conquer, while ————-<\/span><\/span>We eat meat with forks and knives We believe in God and obey the law ————-<\/span><\/span>We discover nuclear energy to make great bombs We punch others with hard fists ————-<\/span><\/span>Our men fuck around everywhere outside our households We colonize every city with an English syntax ————-<\/span><\/span>We deploy aircraft carriers near their waters and coasts We enjoy setting fires and blowing winds along their long walls ————-<\/span><\/span>We try every dirty way to overthrow their government We borrow money from them to build more weapons Them <\/p>\n <\/p>\n YUAN CHANGMING<\/strong>, nine-time Pushcart and author of seven chapbooks, started to learn English at age nineteen and published monographs on translation before leaving China. Currently, Yuan edits Poetry Pacific<\/em> with Allen Yuan in Vancouver. Credits include Best of Best Canadian Poetry<\/em> (2008-17), BestNewPoemsOnline<\/em>, Threepenny Review<\/em>, and 1349 others worldwide.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Brush Made from Baby Wolf Hair This is a traditional Chinese pen, an artifact Combining a wolf\u2019s wildness with a baby\u2019s Innocence. It is soft but strong enough to Write dark history in rice fields, or draw Black pictures on… Continue Reading
\nWill carry no might<\/em>, or something
\nTo this effect, but I do not care<\/p>\n
\nIf you call me Chink, Chinaman
\nOriental, Ching Chong, Dog-eater
\nBruce Lee, Jackie Chan
\nJeremy Lin, Yao Ming, Ling Ling
\nEven Jap or Gook while pulling
\nYour eyes back. Whatever name<\/p>\n
\nGo right, since English is no
\nMy mother tongue, after all<\/p>\nWe, They<\/h1>\n
\nThey never seek territorial expansion<\/p>\n
\n————-<\/span><\/span>They chew grass with bamboo sticks<\/p>\n
\nThey practice Confucianism and follow their superman<\/p>\n
\n————-<\/span><\/span>They invented gunpowder to celebrate festivals<\/p>\n
\nThey dance around us with tai chi<\/em> gestures<\/p>\n
\n————-<\/span><\/span>Their women lay babies right in our living rooms<\/p>\n
\nThey decorate each street with Chinese signboards<\/p>\n
\n————-<\/span><\/span>They marry girls to our princes and paupers<\/p>\n
\nThey have Chinese stomachs to digest all insults and injuries<\/p>\n
\n————-<\/span><\/span>They sell every clean artifact to help our citizens survive<\/p>\n
\nThey toil to make more money for our banks<\/p>\n
\nUs<\/p>\n
\n
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