Changming Yuan, 2/20/2012

Current Occupation: Independent teacher

Former Occupation: Teacher

Contact Information: Changming Yuan, 4-time Pushcart nominee and (co-)author of Chansons of a Chinaman (2009) and Three Poets (2011), published several monographs before moving to Canada. With a PhD in English, Yuan teaches independently in Vancouver and has had poetry appear in nearly 450 literary publications across 18 countries, including Asia Literary Review, Barrow Street, Best Canadian Poetry, BestNewPoemsOnline, London Magazine, Poetry Kanto and Salzburg Review.

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The Programmer

With a single mouse click

The programmer vanishes

Into the plasma waves

Of the screen, with another key-hit

The computer flies away

Into the depth of the cyberspace

Like the legendary yellow crane

I was the one sitting there

In the coffin-like attic, trying

To program the destiny of

Both man and god

If U Can’t See Me, I Can’t See U

(sign at the back of a truck)

Outside the picture, if you can’t see me, I can’t see you

Under a pile of words, if you can’t see me, I can’t see you

Behind a big truck, if you can’t see me, I can’t see you

That is, since I drive in front of you

If you want to pass but can’t see me in

My driver’s seat, or in my front rear mirror, you are

In my blind spot, so don’t follow me too closely, don’t

Try to pass me, but stay calm behind my shadow

Otherwise you would kiss my big ass in a bloody way

And so, when you communicate

Wait and make sure you see the right person first –

That’s for your own safety, pal

When you are cursing, singing, dancing, playing or fighting

It’s best to have the real person in view:

If she can’t kiss you, you can’t kiss her

If you can’t put up with me, I can’t put up with you

If fame can’t grow out of you, you can’t grow out of fame

If money can’t find you, you can’t find money

If the politician can’t trust you really, you really can’t trust the politician

Look, what I point out is, if you can’t see me, I can’t see you

Whether it is in a book, at a cemetery, on a plane, or behind a truck

Drive safe, you asshole.