Li He

“King of Qin, rides a tiger, touring eight poles
Sword's light shining in empty sky from jade
Xihe strikes the sun, as glass is sounded
Robbed ashes fly to ends, past, present level
Dragon head, flows out wine, inviting wine star
Golden groove, pipa in the night: “cheng cheng”
Dongting rain, upon the feet, comes blowing sheng
Wine hearty, drinking moon, causes change of shape
Silver clouds, dense and denser, jade temple bright
Palace gates, holding affairs, announces one watch
Flower house, jade phoenix, sounds seductive, fierce
Sea silk fabric, red text, fragrance shallow, clear
Yellow beauty, stumbles dance, thousand year vessel
Celestial being, candle’s plant wax smoking lightly
Goddess of Qing, drunk, tears of deepest waters”
― Li He

“I like to find old things
and I picked up that arrowhead
in tears, that broken point
that buried itself
once, in human flesh

but I traded it later
to a boy on horseback
in the southeast quarter
who begged me to have it
and gave me
a new bamboo basket”
― Li He