Contemporary World Literature Chinese Poetry
By Sue Zhu
Sue Zhu ( 淑文) , a Chinese poet, painter and entrepreneur, organizer of international cultural exchange, lives in Auckland. She is Member of Chinese Poetry Society, director of NZ Poem Art Association, honorary director of the US-China Cultural Association, one of the founders of NZ “All Souls Poetry” club, editor and advisor for some Chinese poetry clubs and magazines in China, USA and New Zealand.
She was a Judge and organizer for 2019 first “Left dragon Right Tiger Cup” international Poetry Competition of China, Vice Chairman for the first and second Montreal International Double Fifth Culture Festival Commemoration of Canada (2019-2020).
She published articles since 1995, published three books of Children’s Education Department Series. Her poems and painting were published in Chinese main newspapers magazines such as People’s Daily, Selected Poems and international media such as World Journal, International Daily News, USA Houston Garden of Verses, Italy Immagine & Poesia, Austria Worte & Welten, Atunis Galaxy poetry…Some have been translated into English, French, Macedonia, Hindi and Arabic…
She has won the Il Meleto di Guido GozzanoLiterary Prize (International Section) — X (2020), a second prize of Monkey King Cup world Chinese poetry competition 2020.
A second place in the first “Jifengtang Cup” national literature competition of China in 2018, third prize of 2018 “Poetry and World” International poetry competition, second place in China Village magazine 2018 poetry marathon Competition. In 2019 she was awarded the certificate of Munir Mezyed Foundation for Arts and Culture.
The remembrance of Snow
A few snowflakes moved ahead towards JiangCheng*
Gently touched down on the shore, until end of the year
They were kidnapped by the cruel cold wind
Recruited frantically the soldiers
And prepared horses to raid the city!
Everything was targeted, and no one was to escape
Now each object is covered with pale-whiteness
All faces, even doors and windows are masked
The lockdowns have locked the towns
Horror prevailed over plains and plateaus
From the Yangtze to the farthest end of the globe
Across the four oceans
From one season to another, there is a dance of death.
At the daytime snow seem soft and sporadic
But at night it is as hard as an iron block
I hear squeaking sounds of the branches and eaves being crushed
I hear some noises of avalanches at the distance.
Are they still those elegant elves?
Sobering at midnight, counting the sheep, stars and days in silence
Peaceful holy moonlight
Shines on the white sheets and walls
With unlimited mercy and grace
People in sleepless plight struggle to pray
Long for the sooner—
“The rooster crow louder at dawn… “*
JiangCheng: A nick name for Wuhan of China
“The rooster crow louder at dawn… “This sentence was quoted from poem titled “To the Wine” by Lihe who was a poet of Tang Dynasty of China. He describes that when dawn comes, the night ends, all the truth will come out. From the beginning of Coronavirus in Wuhan, it spread to all over the world, People are eager to know the truth where it came from to avoid it happening again in the future.
To My Daughter
In one afternoon
I wrote a long letter and sent a gift to you my daughter
Who are far away from me and just turned 16 years old
The choice apples throughout the ages
With their origins marked out one by one
One is from the distant East Eden
And a golden apple burning in a wedding banquet
Still another one handed into the dwarf’s window by an old lady
There is one that once appeared in Socrates’ class
There is also an imaginary one set by Fromm’s goal that he was to try to jump up to reach
There is still another one discarded away by the careless Charlie,
Just waking up Newton who was meditating
Besides there is one that once went across the Sahara Desert with a traveler
Another one is a token of love under the apple tree outside the fence in 1942
And there is still one more from the garden, which we have been cultivating together
Those apples have their own aromas
That can be made into a uniquely flavored jam
Accompanying you for your whole life
Have a good journey
English Translator: Jimmy Wei (New Zealand)
Each snowflake is accompanied by a metaphor
A small winter butterfly sleeping on my forehead,
I don’t think this a dream that
The cicadas singing around the red cherry tree,
A cloud of white butterflies
Stopping and then gliding down.
It’s an unexpected moment
An unexpected meeting with no reason
For a long time, the idea of writing has been just raised from
Its silhouette merged into the light source in the distance,
Quickly disappeared
Oh, a small white butterfly
That has a noble rich past life,
Flying out of the slender river in this life
Cross the sea, bring its own mission.
For the sky
For the earth
Or just for one person
A big snow falls deeply in his heart.
Never Cry
Always arrives before dawn
Always sets up stage before storm
Puts flower apron on, Maximizes autumn colors
With orchid fingers onto stool
Water flows over shells
Slides through radish and eggplant
Silt penetrate the mesh
Get morning sun light settled down
Not the wind drifting across street
Nor about hawkers’ trade
Pinch of salt, spirit of lyrics
Yellow greens are life indeed
Flapping wings like a swallow
All the way home for the lucky day
Withdraws her temporary props and costumes
If tangled by snow or heavy rain
My aunt lives far away from me
As a professional singer and dancer when she young
Left stage with no hope one day
Whole world suddenly upside down
Renting a place from community
Selling eggs from her own farmland
Selling seafood and veggie from oversea
Songs fly everywhere
“Soar is the soul of birds, rainbow belongs to sky
No matter when no matter what happens
Must stretch wings, sing hard! “
That’s what I was told by my aunt
_____________________
