The Tree and the Marble

My father planted a little Chinese poplar
Close to the bank of the Yangtze River
Where I buried deep under that tree
A glass marble treasured by my childhood

Long long afterward, I find the tree dying
Though its seeds all blown away somewhere
While my marble has really grown
Into a magic tree in the heart of a friend

From: 
Vancouver




ABOUT THE POET ~
Mike Yuan, also known as Yuan Zhengming in Chinese, is a 5-time Pushcart nominee and author of two poetry collections. Growing up in a remote and impoverished village in central China, Mike received his post-secondary education in Shanghai and Tianjin, worked as a college lecturer and published several monographs in addition to many journal articles before moving to Canada as an international student. With a PhD in English from the University of Saskatchewan, Mike currently lives and works as a property manager in Vancouver. Since mid-2005, Mike Yuan has had poetry appear in more than 700 literary magazines and anthologies across 27 countries.


Last updated September 08, 2013