Chinese Lesson Continued by Yuan Changming

Square-shaped, stroke-structured

Every Chinese character presents an

Abstract painting rich in symbolic

Meanings; for example, ‘自由’

[Freedom] is an enclosed framework

Where there’s always a unique stroke

Trying to break out of the cell

Whereas ‘牢笼’ [prison house] is

Open-ended in every direction, but

Even if you are as strong as a bull

Or a dragon, you can never hope to

Escape from under a simple radical

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Yuan Changming edits Poetry Pacific with Allen Yuan. Credits include 16 chapbooks, 12 Pushcart nominations for poetry and 3 for fiction besides appearances in Best of the Best Canadian Poetry (2008-17), BestNewPoemsOnline and 2129 other publications across 51 countries.