Poetry by Yuan Changming

Afternoon Call

Listen, just in case,
              In case what?

In case there should be, in case tragedy
                        What kind?

In case volcano, in case earthquake, in case fire
        Where? When?

In case market, in case earth, in case
                                               In case Trump?

He cuts her short, switches off his iphone, puts down his
Coffee cup, gets up from his long held position
And leaves his voice echoing at the other end
               In case asynodia, she murmurs, in case

​




​… Needs a Smile

So it invented flowers
To bloom in every season, and

Rivers to irrigate the dry fields
Beyond the barren banks




Bio: Yuan Changming, nine-time Pushcart and one-time Best of Net nominee, published monographs on translation before moving out of China. With a Canadian PhD in English, Yuan currently edits Poetry Pacific with Allen Yuan in Vancouver; credits include Best Canadian Poetry, Cincinnati Review, BestNewPoemsOnline, Threepenny Review and 1289 others across 39 countries.