… It is a flying bird without feet but never gets tired It is a strong tree without roots but never turns weak It keeps disturbing wonderful dreams Hence souls wander forever … Min was a student of mine during … Continue reading
Category Archives: Odds and Ends
Life by Daniel
… Life is a big book on whose edges we write down comments. … … …… … Daniel was a student of mine the summer of 2008. The night before I flew back to the States, I took Daniel and … Continue reading
My Brother by Yu
… A class of mine did great speeches. The speech I liked the best was given by a young man named Yu who is so nervous that when he speaks his right hand is clenched in a fist and his … Continue reading
Poets in my Homeroom: Wuhan 2010
Some of my homeroom students also attended my poetry workshop. As I’ve mentioned before they aren’t English majors or poets. They are scientists and mathematicians. Li Feng works with electric information, Lily is a chemist, Celeste and Kelvin are … Continue reading
Dusk by Ruiqi Liu
When I first met Rich, the summer of 2008, I thought she was very shy, but I also knew she was confident enough to give me a poem she had written for a class assignment. Like most of my … Continue reading
Eden writes a poem after Alice Notley (a beautiful thought)
… Eden is my youngest student. She is 15 and still in high school. Like many 15 year olds, Eden is a joy: every moment is something new. I showed the class a poem by the poet Alice Notley called … Continue reading
My Heart by Nicolas
A poem in English written by someone whose first language isn’t English is often very beautiful with other skin over its bones. Like many of my students in China, Nicolas is a scientist. He’s going to Paris soon to … Continue reading
On Passion by Richard He
… This little poem with the fewest words possible says it all. … You see it raining and rushing Like beasts, and roaring You tremble at it and pray It keeps on pouring. … … Continue reading