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li min hua
li min hua is a professor at rutgers university, has written
three poetry volumes: "sunspots" (lotus press, detroit,
1976) "midnight lessons" (samisdat, 1987), and "lutibelle's
pew" (dragon disks, 1990), and has read and performed in
britain, canada, china, hong kong, and the u.s.
Works on this page:
found in shauwkiwan station of the mtr
the right to do our own naming
last laugh
Found in Shauwkiwan Station of the MTR
The Right to Do our Own Naming
I held a glass to the wall of
a learned journal:
---------- In nursing homes
---------- nocturnal emissions
---------- sometimes terrify
---------- very old men.
A man watched tv on the sampan
in the harbor below my window
while his sons hoisted nets.
I peeked at your comments on a student's paper:
---------- Mature with these
---------- issues. Question over several years.
---------- If others had not
---------- done so, we would
---------- still bind feet, not just minds.
---------- An intercom interrupted:
---------- Use the white
---------- courtesy phones in
---------- the lower baggage
---------- area. You may wait
---------- for your party at
---------- curbside.
"But Chinaman is a nice term.
Why do you say that I have insulted you?"
Last Laugh
Mayor Thomas, although you can't hear me think,
my metal snake has your future coiled with it.
"Yessuh, only two dollahs an hour, sho." My hand
rubs it warm against my funk.
"Nome, Misses Thomas. The Mayor say
he'll not be back fore dark
cause of trouble with his niggahs."
Now boss, you jist lay quiet in the trunk cause you gonnah
see a burning bush, the last seed since Jethro taught Moses,
and my Mam'bo makes sure this Datsun will take you safely till
my neck chain releases Danbhalah Houe-Do and your Ole Time Religion
meets its match six feet under the city dump.
Keep on groaning, cause Jesus be deaf an shore can't hear you
where you is.
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