CHANGMING YUAN presents his thoughtful work to MEL BRAKE PRESS
The Daoist Alchemist
Instead of turning brass into gold or sand into diamonds, the alchemist refines soil, air and sunlight into an immortality syrup. While gulping down the newly made elixir in a hurry, he accidentally spills a few drops of the holy dew onto the ground, which his dogs, cats and chickens struggle hard to lip at the first sight. As the alchemist launches himself for a higher life in heaven, all the animals in his humble house thus begin to rise, certainly underneath him.
The Guizhou Donkey
The first of its kind that had ever appeared in the mountains of Guizhou, the donkey gave a deep impression to all local animals at the beginning. Terror-stricken, even the tiger came to pay his respect and offer his kingship to the newcomer, since he had such an imposing statue as well as such a high-pitched voice. Later, the tiger found the donkey capable of doing nothing other than kicking to defend himself or offend his enemy. With this happy realization, the tiger tore the new king into pieces and ate him up the third time he passed by.
Confucian Gentility
Orchid: Deep in the valley
Alone on an obscure spot
You bloom none the less
Lotus: From foul decayed silt
You shoot clean against the sun
Never pollutable
Mum: Hanging on and on
Even when wishes wither
You keep flowering
Plum: Your brave bold blood dropped
As though to melt all world’s snow
Before spring gathers
Changming Yuan, 4-time Pushcart nominee and author of Chansons of a Chinaman, grew up in rural China and published several monographs before moving to Canada. With a PhD in English, Yuan teaches in Vancouver and has poetry appear in nearly 480 literary publications across 19 countries, including Asia Literary Review, Best Canadian Poetry, BestNewPoemsOnline, Exquisite Corpse, London Magazine, Poetry Kanto, Salzburg Review, SAND and Taj Mahal Review.
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