Rather than the foil
Of spring flowers
All leaves of the passing season
Are now blooming aloud
Towards the autumn sky
Less tender textured, perhaps
But more brittle, more deadly brilliant
Shaken off for a last ritual dance
With the wind before they kiss
The land once and forever
Changming Yuan, nine-time Pushcart and one-time Best of the Net nominee, started to learn English at age 19 and published monographs on translation before moving out of China. Currently, Changming edits Poetry Pacific with Allen Yuan in Vancouver and has poetry appearing in Best Canadian Poetry, BestNewPoemsOnline, Threepenny Review, and others worldwide.