by Li Wanfeng
     trs. by Sophia Kidd

crushing ice cubes makes people shake
the straw cup and color palette are well-suited
the ruins on Leifeng Pagoda bloom
and evaluations age people}
bear and leopard dolls back to back
there were a few less stars last night
the hurricane pays attention to her eyes and sleeve
i look down on everyone until i feel modest
down to just my surname
even if you’re impoverished within
some people still mention
our insatiable eyes are always in heat
always engaged in battle
and shedding light

by He Xiaozhu
     trs. by Sophia Kidd

the tools I bought arrived
a hammer   and some electric scissors
really nice   I put them on the table
reluctant to put them in the toolbox
why did you buy more tools?   she asks
don’t we already have a hammer and scissors?
my explanation   that other hammer is useless
I can’t even get really angry at it
when fixing a chair
but the scissors
they’re harder to explain
every pair of our scissors is fine
I bought these oil green handled electric scissors
just because I like them

by He Xiaozhu
     trs. by Sophia Kidd

I write a line
then erase it
although what I write fades
I still erase
rewrite   and re-erase
until what I write
is invisible

by Xiong Yan
     trs. by Chen Xiaoyuan

I said good night to my five-year-old daughter, with a gentle kiss
on her cheek
After a busy day, Mom got tired and dozed off in the chair
Father covered her with a blanket light
Wife came back from the wet market, wearing the morning glow
at her temple
I wrote poetry at midnight, encountering my loneliness along the
way

My heart is a grain of rice, when the husk is removed
it is crystal white