by Allen Qing Yuan
Buddha Beads
17 spheres conceived by the flesh of earth and water
each
to keep myself restrained by good faith
rich cocoa coconut shells, albeit grazes and nicks,
each a whim
weathered and dropping
yet so creamy like euphony from the lips
each a whim or wish
unspoken but powerfully recited
inscribed with mini-mighty Buddhas
each a whimsical wish
to be enshrined and embraced
the stretchy wire coiled through and up into delicate loops
each a dying whimsical wish
heading towards where they’re all tied up
the carvings of Asian depictions
each a deflated dying whimsical wish
for luck to somehow hang around my hands
Tree: An Exceptional Inception
standing on the shoulders
of your elder wood
where the sides curve into faces
long, disfigured yet noble
your arms embrace outwardly
not afraid to be broken,
because they are inseparable
your veiny growth pumps through
the stump, a heartbeat so subtle
like a tambourine against the clouds
your skin is so thick, yet you are so open
learning from the sun
feeding yourself with its rays of nourishment
you will keep rising, like a living legacy.
Komodo Dragon
Staring menacingly at all observers
You being the greatest observer of all
Claws scraping the loose earth
Scaly tail weaving through the sky
Rocky exterior grinding rock
Squinty eyes seeing all
And you wonder
What more is beyond this glass?
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Allen Qing Yuan, born in Canada and aged 17, currently attends high school in Vancouver, where he co-edits Poetry Pacific with his mentor-father Changming Yuan. Since grade 10, Allen’s poetry has appeared in nearly 60 literary publications across 13 countries, including Contemporary American Voices, Cordite Poetry Review, Istanbul Literary Review, Literary Review of Canada, Mobius, Paris/Atlantic, Poetry Scotland, Spillway, Taj Mahal Review and Two Thirds North. Poetry submissions welcome at yuans@shaw.ca.
Painting: Samuel Barrera – detail from SOL
The Merida Review 