Cicadas noisily burst into song
And whirl in their mating dance
On branches of jade-green.
In a lonely courtyard I compose
A poem of distant years
To possess a moment in time.
My heart is grieved then lifted by
A memory of you in a thin red silk
Robe brushing your black hair
In the lamplight of thinning dusk.
One thought leads to another.
I am flushed with wine until dawn.
© 2025 Charles van Heck
Charles, I tried to find this poem by Madame Li in its original Mandarin Chinese, but so far have not had any luck yet. If possible, please send me the text where you know this poem appears. Meci. Changding
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Chanding, I wrote this poem, not Madame Li. I didn’t write it in Mandrarin Chinese, though I wish I couuld. You won’t find it in any book, or text. At some point I will probably revise it. I am never satisfied with the material I write.
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Charles van Heck's Woodhull Journal 
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