Martina Reisz Newberry: Nüshu

It is the 28th year of Mingguo today. When on earth will our country be in peace? 

                                                                        ~an old song sung by Yang Xixi, 1999

.

Here in the capital of competition and cupidity, 
we are segregate...and uniform.  
We are persuaded by used-car salesmen, 
inspired by a celebrity’s starved body, 
a lawmaker’s starved mind. Time now
to be cautious.          It approaches– 
a prowling mist–the forenames of the populace
are held captive as it comes. 
The weed with the white-tufted, feathery top 
shivers, is blown free of its slender anchor.  
Games of innocence, death of innocence, 
scent of longing...pray to these lesser gods, 
my dears, that they will jump into the way 
of what comes for us.

—

Note: Nüshu is a syllabic script derived from Chinese characters that was used exclusively among women in Jiangyong County in Hunan province of southern China. It fell out of use in the early 20th century.

Copyright 2020 Martina Reisz Newberry. From Blues for French Roast with Chicory by Martina Reisz Newberry (Deerbrook Editions, 2020).