yi jung chen

THE MOLDED STICKY RICE

Molded in round bowls,
The memory of steamy sweet rice,
when served with fresh cilantro,
we drizzle it with sauce.
The crispy spareribs soup setting aside,
always a delightful company to be with.

Hustle-bustle life nibbling away at our minds,
we rarely sit down at the food stall any more.
With the lifting of bothersome prohibitions,
the trendiest coffee shop caught your eyes.
The scorching summer at its peak,
you awoke my senses with a call.

Revisiting the old place again,
your expressions were hidden behind the mask.
Breaking the ice with warm greetings,
we fumbled for the right words just to
make sure the facts of survival
not at the stake of losing ourselves.

The taro root we took pride in,
a niche for our growth,
the secret ingredients in the recipe.
The hopeful faces of our grandparents,
holding our infant mothers,
the courage of audacity they bore
receded to the mountains,
towering into the sky.

BESIDES TEACHING PUPILS OF LEARNING DIFFICULTIES AT DOUNAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL OF TAIWAN, YI JUNG CHEN WRITES POEMS IN ENGLISH, CHINESE AND TAIWANESE LANGUAGE AS WELL. SHE HOPES TO HAVE HER POEMS PUBLISHED BY RELIABLE JOURNALS AND STRIKE EMOTIONAL CHORDS WITHIN HER READERS' HEART.