(Author’s note: The below poems were inspired by early Chinese poetry)
*
Lost in the Vast Cosmos (After Liu Yong)
The sickle moon is a false
smile in an indifferent sky.
Hidden in the grass,
crickets sing dissonant hymns.
I lose myself in memories
of springs past,
as the stars surround me,
like a broken halo.
They are far away.
That’s where they’ll stay.
The sky is like a book
in a language I can’t read.
I try to understand,
but beneath my feet
are the bones of creatures
who once had the same need.
Beside the Green River (After Mei Yao Chen)
Along the bank, a breeze
cools me like a smiling girl,
enjoying her ease.
A pale moon hangs
between two willow trees.
They haven’t had time
to form new leaves.
A frog emits a pompous croak.
Is he calling to his mate?
Will she wait?
In the distance, I hear
a solitary boat,
making its way home,
but humanity is remote.
Overhead, stars shine
like glass tears.
I think of my wife. She’s
been dead for a year.
November (After Li Po)
The face in the mirror
has no secrets.
It’s the color of stale tea.
It seems like an uninvited guest,
but it belongs to me.
The sun barely warms the trees,
as they let go of their
recently dead leaves.
November is not a month
for renewal. On the road,
traffic is sparse. Men watch
for winter snow.
In all the flux and flow,
I search for some fixed pole.
At twenty, poetry was my life.
By thirty I had a wife.
She’s now dead,
and poems leave me cold.
I’ve outgrown
the things I once loved
to realize I’ve
suddenly become old.
About the Author
George Freek’s poetry has been published in numerous Journals and Reviews. His poem “Written At Blue Lake” was nominated for a Pushcart Prize. His poem “Enigmatic Variations” was also recently nominated for Best of the Net. His collection “Melancholia” is published by Red Wolf Editions.
