Poem 8#

Stranger and Me
By: Jason Chang
Dynamite Poem

Me
Nonchalant, whimsical
Whistling, strolling, enjoying
Hoody, Jeans, homeless man, rags
Shady, sad, somber
Stranger

Poem 7#

Strangers
By: Jason Chang
Haiku

What should you do when…
A stranger smiles, begs, or just…?
You learn from them… Lots…

Poem 6#

An Ode to Mao
By: Jason Chang
Ode

Oh Mao! Oh mighty and valiant Mao!!
You caught stumbling China with your hands
And by your might it gloriously stands
Those days ,at school, when I would worship thou

At school one-thousand of us, stood in rows.
In the mist of the frozen dawn, we sang
Awoke the whole city, our voices rang.
From far away you could hear our echoes.

You were everywhere, I looked around me
On paper bills and picture frames on walls
Your warm smile radiated in every car
And at Beijing I saw your dead body

I realized that every morning then,
When I would sing my heart out for one man
It was actually for this fat dead corpse
Yet still I honored him for good ol’ days.

Poem 5#

Living in China
By: Jason Chang
Blank Verse

School ended, a magnificent feeling.
Release your neck from communism, basking in freedom
Step past the iron gates and face a ghetto-land
Walk by the graying blocks people live in.
And through the stench of public bathrooms
Skip from brick to brick in colorful sidewalk patterns
Time to time I kick a piece of trash
Look up to scout for beeping, speeding, taxis.
None...Then proceed.
Pity the trees whose trunks are painted ghost-white
Whose roots are poking out of asphalt streets.
Count the damp round spots on them and laugh.
Quick dash! When you spot the renowned crazy granny
Look up, blue skies and plastic bags
I’m almost home and swing my arms.
Feel something wet, sticky, and not pleasant.
Look ahead and see a lone man, bicycling.
Down, down the road he goes.

Peom 4#

Many years of time ago, he left to go..
By: Jason Chang
Ballad


Many years of time ago
I found myself a good old friend
When we first met I said “hello”
I knew this friendship would not end

Many years of time ago
My friend and I then made a pact.
To be best friends and always so
To never argue or fight back

With our wild and childish manners
Till the end of mid-schools years
Me and him were close as brothers
Until that day he left to go.

He left to go, He left to go
And now ‘bout friendships I now know
Once they seem like never-ending
They will fade with one sudden blow

Poem 3#

Imagine this
By: Jason Chang
Free Verse


Imagine myself, walking back from school.
Maybe even skipping, running, strolling
But you must include these specific things
Me wearing my blue school uniform,
My red communist scarf around my neck,
My very short hedgehog haircut showing,
A narrow street arrayed with autumn leaves
And finally a line of trees, singing.
It was truly beautiful, splendorous
I’m almost home, when down the street I see.
A grandma running frantically toward me.
She’s crazy, pure craziness, so I scream
And sprint home until all is safe and sound
That day I learned there’s human beings like these.

Poem 2#

When a stranger asks you for money and you give it to them and regret it
By: Jason Chang
Villanelle

People tell the truth, not lie, hopefully.
because, one day, a man, asked me,”Money?”
People don’t cheat, they’re nice, obviously.

End of a break of nothing, suddenly
Dark, Asian, dressed in black, and asked,” Money?”
People tell the truth, not lie, hopefully

The victim of a burglar’s cunning deeds
Short-cut hair, raspy voice asking,” Money?”
People don’t cheat, they’re nice, obviously.

He says: “it’s for his bus fare.” Desperately
He says:”I’ll be good, just please,”Money?”
People tell the truth, not lie, hopefully.

can’t understand, he blabbers too quickly
Except those brief parts when he asks,”Money?”
People don’t cheat, they’re nice, obviously.

I learned a lesson, and carved it deeply
in my heart. That the next two lines are faulty.
People tell the truth, not lie, hopefully.
People don’t cheat they’re nice, obviously.