Chinese New Year
"What wisdom can you find that is greater than kindness."
~ Jean Jacques Rousseau
I'm not sure there's a night of civility
left in me. Red tassels and crepe paper hang
in my friends' old house. I admonish myself to be polite.
Enamel over my natural tendencies.
A woman from my hometown puts me at ease.
Were the people simpler there?
The greeting for the New Year offers increase.
Broken cookies predict twice, "You will make
new friends." My old friend rubs my back,
if not now when? We laugh. Why do Jews
love Chinese food above their own? I love
propriety, but more than that the chance to spill
a bit into new ears. The eyes of depth. The ribbon
of gold from the sun is a thousand miles long,
says the scroll of the Yangtze. Not my river,
but the Allegheny is, spoken of over tea.
The sea bass came apart at the touch.
The ginger stung my tongue. If only sweets
were all, but we've come to expect a serving
of Open Sesame. At home I am alone.
There is nobody greeting me, needing a shred
of red meat. I turn on the TV. I read at books.
The gathering did me good. Underneath
sleep is dreams. Underneath darkness is gold.
My heart, red as a lantern,
hangs in an old room.
Copyright Joan Logghe
