by Yuan Changming
Linguistic Leanings: an X-Cultural Poem
2/ Feminism vs Patriarchy
In Chinese, 妇人(woman) is a girl who’s overthrown
A mountain, & 夫人(madam) refers to a human that’s
Broken open the sky
____________________While in English
Woman implies her as the wo of man, & madam is
Nobody but an other representation of male or adam
2/ Getting Along towards the Same End
In Chinese, 朋友，恋人，& 爱人 are all
12-stroked characters, just as their counter-
Parts friend, couple, & spouse are 6-lettered
Words in the imperial vocabulary of English
Though they are all underlined with human
Love and loyalty, the former entails twice
As much input or effort of the heart
As the latter to maintain a disparately
Similar humane relationship as a speech act
Chopstick Commandments: an x-Cultural Poem
1. Avoid one chopstick longer than the other in a pair
That would recall what a coffin is made of
2. Don’t plant them in the middle of a bowl of rice
Or dish, like a scent burning for the dead
3. Never use them to poke around in a dish
In the way a tomb raider works hard in the dark
4. Put them strictly parallel to each other; or you
Would have yourself crossed out as a deplorable error
5. If you drop one or both of them on the ground, you
Will wake up and provoke your ancient ancestors
6. If you use them to beat containers like a drum player
You are fated to live a low and poor beggar’s life
7. When you make noises with them in your mouth
You betray your true self as a rude and rough pariah
8. Never point them toward any one if you
Do not really mean to swear at a fellow diner
9. Make sure not to pierce any food with them while eating
When you do not mean to raise your mid-finger to all around you
10. To use them in the wrong way is
To make yourself looked down on by others