Yuan Changming
A whole box of human hearts, each
Still beating fresh like skinned toads
Two rows of shiny skeletons of unknown gods
All fingers longer than legs, toes bigger than skulls
Three sets of knives, blades extremely blunt
With evil spirits and devilish impulses
Four giant alarm clocks, making thunderous noises
Waking up all dead from as many directions
Five bottles of wine filled with soaked souls
As colouful as the rainbow above the styx
Can I just have the reddist heart please?
Sure, it’s free
***
Yuan Changming published monographs on translation before leaving China. Currently, Yuan edits Poetry Pacific with Allen Yuan in Vancouver. Credits include 10 Pushcart nominations, Best of the Best Canadian Poetry and BestNewPoemsOnline, among others.