two poems by Changming Yuan
Walking at the Fraser River Park
(Entrance Notice: Unleashed Dogs Welcome)
In this territory, every dog is free
Though the leash is never too far behind
In its owner’s hand
While the dogs make love
Without even knowing each other’s names
Their masters remain standing far apart
Each fiercely guarding his pride and privacy
Without a dog, you will find yourself even less
Than an animal, as your human rights
Are blatantly violated by running dogs
None of them ever barks here though
Either with humor or at any human
But one of them could go crazy
And bite your head off
All before you know it
The Hieroglyphical Origin of My Identity
To begin with
‘I’ was no body
But a common reed
Bowing its head to the rising sun
On the barren bank of the Nile
Slim, tall, hollow-hearted
Standing against tropical heat
Until one day I was used
As a human symbol, an open vowel
Referring to the speaker
And since then I have become
One of the most frequently used letters
In the linguistic order of the day
Always capitalized
To embody my dignity
Though I am nothing
But a common reed
That could have been made into a flute
To begin with