
the turning leaves
catch the morning sunlight
to show depths of red.

the turning leaves
catch the morning sunlight
to show depths of red.
Enraged, I lean on the rail as rain ceases.
I look skyward, and sigh -- then roar.
My grand legacy has crumbled to dust:
A journey of thirty years and 8,000 li.
Young men, don't let regret come with gray hair!
The shame of Jingkang lingers -- a foul taste
We Generals must wash from our mouths.
Let's charge our chariots through Helan Pass
To feast on the flesh of our foes & drink their blood.
Only then can we return home with honor.
In Chinese, the poem is entitled 滿江紅 (Man Jiang Hong,) “The Whole River, Red”:
怒髮衝冠,憑欄處,瀟瀟雨歇。
抬望眼,仰天長嘯,壯懷激烈。
三十功名塵與土,八千里路雲和月。
莫等閒白了少年頭,空悲切。
靖康恥,猶未雪;
臣子恨,何時滅?
駕長車踏破賀蘭山缺!
壯志飢餐胡虜肉,笑談渴飲匈奴血。
待從頭收拾舊山河,朝天闕。




buds & blossoms,
in vibrant red, gussy up
a dreary cityscape.
The Ladybug of my childhood had polka-dots of black, adorning the split red shell that covered its wings and back. So, who erased this bug's black dots to make it less dice-like, making it a Lady in red? Said thief can take a hike. I had so many fine questions, but it just flew away. Maybe a bug somewhere out there has more spots coming its way.

the big red bug attracts attention it doesn’t want.

red blossoms
in the understory,
briefly catch the sun.