Mei Yaochen – Borderless

A Matter of Priorities

A MATTER OF PRIORITIES (After Mei Yao Chen, 1002-1060) Things that once mattered Now matter to me less than a bowl of rice. Stars like insects spin across the sky, but do they even exist? Sparrows hop from branch to branch with a purpose. They don’t care if the stars are there. They’re looking for something to eat. In a rain-soaked street, people rush by, terribly concerned with the mud on their feet.

On the Banks of the Blue River

By George Freek


ON THE BANKS OF THE BLUE RIVER 
(After Mei Yaochen* )

A goose floats on the river,
so near I can almost touch him.
In an ugly mood, he honks at me.
It’s what he has to say.
On this wind-blown day,
leaves fall, denuding the trees.
I can’t see that wind,
but I feel its chilling breeze.
We only know what
we can see. But who sees
the atoms in a cup of tea?
Life is a brief fantasy.
Fat clouds drift insouciantly,
then disappear. The river
wanders ambiguously,
until it’s finally swallowed
by a distant sea. I gaze
at it with querulous eyes,
And see confusion,
but that is only me.
and I’m just a momentary illusion.

*Mei Yaochen (1002-1060) Poet of the Song Dynasty

George Freek’s poetry has recently appeared in The Ottawa Arts Review, Acumen, The Lake, The Whimsical Poet, Triggerfish and Torrid Literature.

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