Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Part Time American

Part Time American
Laijon Liu 20180130

Part time to put food on the table
Part time to keep a roof over our heads
Part time to do odd jobs at odd hours
for another dollar to make the ends meet

Carpetbaggers need their sick days’ money
Carry on with their sleep bags and painkiller
Gypsies dare not to take their personal days
Rock in their clunkers to where the sun sets

O America, we are all thumbs for our dream
Abandoned factories and dilapidated house
Your love needs doctor but you are too broke
Can’t afford hospital bed, nor funeral nor grave

Note:
This is one of best American poems in 21st century. I am so successful to be poet than anything else I do. because this poem is more real than many award-winning poets that you read on famous literature magazine and  anthology. famous magazine would not dare to publish poems like this, their editors may want to, but their boss men read this kind poems as revolution anthem. also poets dare not to write this, because their readers (most are middle class or high class Americans, people dress luxury brand don't know and don't care about art. poor people care about art with truth and admiration, sell it to better life; the rich use art like whore that make themselves feel and look good, private owned not to exhibit in museum) would not appreciate what this poem stands, there are a lot of poor people are suffering in America now, legal citizens who cannot get full time jobs, run btwn their Waltmart part time hours in 2 shifts a day, when they drive back home, collapse on the seat, have not even warmed their butt, they've got to go drive back or to another fast food store for another 4 hours. it seems the corporal executives and the chairmen want to deprive their employees from sleep, from a dignity of normal human being life. they like Chinese folk medicine peddlers entertain the market crowd with their trained little monkeys, usually 2 or 3, the monkeys got leash on their necks, chained to carrying bag, the medicine men take turn to drag each monkey out to do some costume trick in the center, and sound their gong for money, then the performing monkey gets a banana. that's what I seen when I was a kid in China. but you can see so many American part time employees are treated in Walmart and other retail giant or chain-stores like monkeys. I understand the big corp don't want to pay full time cost which by law that comes costs of benefit like sick days, personal days, vacation and healthcare. so give employee part time to dodge the fed suits that's American tradition for all business, but at least give people one slot stable hours daily, so they might find another part time or at least have a good uninterrupted sleep, and they won't get Alzheimer when they are old.

This poem is Du Fu's poem style:
it first records what happen in America 2018 for all future historians to read that there are 7.5 million Americans work part time, be tortured by American corporal such as Walmart Corp like with the help of our politicians meanly the so called republicans. and the future can also search, if you still have search engine like google or something, the fact don't lie. and we American are not great again. we don't feel like. the number is there. read the screen capture there.
it also shows all poets, anyone wants to be a poet, you don't need Yeats, TS Elliot mastery, you can write better poem, more informative, more beneficial to society to humanity, if you look around and be brave, don't trample down your feeling of righteousness of indignation, write on the fact of suffering you see. trust me, when you post your 12 or 10 or 5 lines, you have won award that better than Pulitzer. if most poets write about unfair society, not single bad person or family, but about a whole bad culture that cruel phenomenon, that society will change. in fact, poetry club or magazine should write about healthcare, poverty, race, part time job like this one, don't be too polite, be frank, and don't act like you are wearing a bowtie and gold button shirt, if most poets writers united only to care about the poor, write about the poor and helpless, the Art, the Poetry, the things we do will make general public live better life. if we cannot guard them, at least we record down the death toll and tell the history how many suffered, how they gradually choked and kicked, and whodunnit and how. owe that to the history. 
 













Friday, January 26, 2018

Walnut


Walnut
Laijon Liu 20180126

a rock-hard shell to prevent
your fear of broken heart

to shield the intricate halves
of your fragile cerebrum

then you must bear tribulation
that day your whole being smashed





Thursday, January 18, 2018

Flower Sermon III


 [Flower Sermon I] [Flower Sermon II] [Flower Sermon III]

Flower Sermon III
Laijon Liu 20180118

Flower blooms
The universe expands

Flower withers
The world falls apart




Friday, January 12, 2018

新巨人: 一首美国名诗的历史背景


新巨人: 一首美国名诗的历史背景

laijon liu 20180112


新巨人
齊雅明翻译 (採自世界日报周刊 20170226日版, 见原文章英文原诗

並不是古希腊雕鑄在無恥中的榮譽,
巨人的跨下是征服的土地。
這裏,海水新洗的日落之門,
將立著一位手持火炬的偉大女人。
那聖火是曾被天禁的神雷,
流亡者的母親乃是她的稱謂。
從她手中將為世界燃起歡迎的光束,
她祥和的雙眸會把天塹變成通途。
「那塊古稀的大地」,她無聲
地呼喊,「留駐你的偉績豐功!
送給我,你的貧困弱病、
你那些渴望自由呼吸的芸芸眾生、
和你遺棄岸邊的累累生靈。
來吧,你風顛浪簸的喪家之人,
在這金色的門際,我為你高舉明燈。」

凡读名著,如诗,小说,文章和讲演, 就音乐与艺术,读者必须了解其作者时代背景,作者和他的作品都是大环境下的产物。去年在世界周刊读到这首美国名诗中译, 译的很美。但可能由于世界周刊版面问题就没有向华人读者交代这首诗的时代背景, 就会误导不通晓美国移民史的华人读者, 误认为这首诗也代表华人移民心声,就错了。 这个自由女神像,这首诗中动情的呼唤那些 “...貧困弱病、你那些渴望自由呼吸的芸芸眾生、和你遺棄岸邊的累累生靈。來吧,你風顛浪簸的喪家之人...”是欧洲移民,非华人移民。1880年后美国铁路各主枝干大略建好,经济成长迅速,产品通过铁路运往各地,急需劳工(见以下图表就知美国当时经济成长形势),但美国政府要欧洲劳工,又怕更多华裔涌入,就发起吸引移民宣传项目和限制华裔的法案,如自由女神像和排华法并行。 所以,此诗就不是对华裔移民的召唤和同情,这首诗是给欧洲,东欧移民写的。 读者简略读下面的背景历史1880年至1924年的时间史实就对上首名诗有真正的了解。 当时的移民历史是把华裔拒之门外,才在门口向着其他移民高唱,自由好,美国收留你们这些可怜的需要帮助的人噢。 当然现华裔也可用这首诗抒发情感,写的的确好,但华裔要知道,这首诗就不是为你们同时代华裔移民写的。所以,读了下面美国移民历史的大事件,身为华人,你就不会对这首诗有啥感动,或有种被宣传欺骗了的感觉。就如,你从小被洗脑,啥中国伟大,生为中国人是值得骄傲的,但你读了史,才大喊一声: “我操!死这么多人!”在查查,各个朝代都死那么多人,在往近处看,又吓一大跳,三座大山众人推倒了,号称民主政权害死得人就更多,反倒更不自由。过去,中国人与狗不让进的只是租界里的几个品牌店,穿西装革履的中国人还是可以进,但还可以上街游行,办报抗议,现在人民做主当家,若一中国人酒后在网上写首反诗,判的比宋江还重。


老华裔的新巨人
Laijon Liu 20180114


也不是什么龍的传人黄帝子孙
天子的裆下你就是代代的草民
这里,让千万人重生的新土地
没有啥伟大的神灵为你敞开大门
那铁锤敲打出的巨人铜像
只为她的制造者的儿女高举火炬
那巨大的双眼可曾看见哀哭的黄脸?
那不灭的火炬也将另一半世界点燃?
她呆呆的站立,无声的呆望
她真的呼喊过: "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
我在此高举明灯,为你照亮乐土的天际?"



1700
中国有3亿多人口,受清朝皇室(也称清朝或满清王朝)统治,
1700
长老会苏格兰人爱尔兰人从苏格兰低地移居到北爱尔兰的阿尔斯特地区,以逃避宗教起诉。 这一时期的大部分移民是来自阿尔斯特的苏格兰 - 爱尔兰人,他们想逃离英国的统治。
1775
许多爱尔兰裔美国人在美国独立战争(1775-1783)中反抗英国的暴政,
1776 独立宣言于177674日签署。签名者包括几名爱尔兰裔美国人。
1785
在美国记录的第一批华人是三艘抵达商船的船员。 他们因逃避苛刻的待遇和强制劳动而“跳船”。
1790
英国的反天主教刑法被废除,天主教徒被允许移民到美国。根据1790年的美国人口普查,估计德国移民占美国白人口的近9
1830 – 1860年代
美国巨大的铁路建设繁荣。 洛厄尔和新罕布什尔州的工厂老板推出了波士顿和洛威尔铁路 ,与历史悠久的米德尔塞克斯运河 ( Middlesex Canal)平行,这使得工厂能够成功。 这是第一个直接攻击铁路公司反对运河利益。
1831
纽约西点铸造厂为莫霍克和哈德逊铁路建造的DeWitt Clinton机车于183172日进行了首次试车。
1842
Solms-Braunfels的卡尔王子率领的Adelsverein试图在德克萨斯州建立一个新的德国,是德国人到美国最大的单一移民。 来自德国的6000名移民在德克萨斯州定居。
1845
爱尔兰马铃薯饥荒”(1845-1849)是“伟大的饥饿”,席卷爱尔兰,带来了因伤寒和痢疾引起的死亡和疾病。 在爱尔兰马铃薯饥荒期间,爱尔兰人口从800万下降到600万。 到美国的航程是在所谓的“饥荒船”或“棺材船”上进行的。
1845
十九世纪四十年代的欧洲大饥荒袭击了德国,造成严重的作物歉收,包括马铃薯枯萎(1845-1849),导致赤贫。 这引起了德国移民的大浪潮,美国内战爆发(1861 - 1865年),流量停止了。
1848
1848年欧洲革命期间,革命派失败后,政治难民称为移民到美国的四十年代。许多四十年代人在得克萨斯州加尔维斯顿定居。 这四十个人被认为是帮助发展了美国的啤酒和酿酒业。
1848
中欧政治动荡,受到中欧政治动荡的驱使,犹太人从德国涌入
1848
第一批移民美国抵达旧金山海关。“Gam Saan”或黄金山的消息是由广州的机会船主发行的小册子传播的,他们想填补他们的船只在返回美国的航程上。
1849
354名男子加利福尼亚淘金热前来到这里,他们从中国开采了大批劳动者,他们从事黄金开采和劳动。
1850
包括大量天主教徒在内的近百万爱尔兰人移民到美国,几乎一半移民到美国。 大部分人从事大型建筑工程和煤矿工作。
1850
反移民情绪随着黄金开始用尽而增长,加州立法机关通过了“外国人矿工税”(Foreign Miners Tax),每月为外国人收取20美元的索赔权。
1852
2.5万华裔移民,
1854
加州最高法院限制了少数族裔的权利。
1860
由于工业化和1860年代工业和铁路的发展,移民被鼓励,数以千计的意大利人加入到越来越多的移民到美国。
1862
犹大体育本杰明被任命为邦联国务卿, 雅各弗兰克尔被任命为美国军队中的第一位犹太牧师
1863
开始在横贯大陆铁路的中央太平洋地区开工,但内华达州的白银匆忙造成了严重的劳动力短缺。
1865
中央太平洋铁路创始人查尔斯·克罗克(Charles Crocker)开始雇佣中国移民到横贯铁路工作。
1866
意大利向奥地利帝国宣战,到 1870年,有超过二万五千名意大利人移民到美国。 纽约市至少有三分之一的人住在这里,这个地区被称为“小意大利”。
1868
安森·伯林盖姆谈判了与中国的友谊条约,鼓励和保证中国移民的权利,而不是归化的权利。
1869
横贯大陆铁路的建设于1869510日完工,当时有11000名铁路工人来自中国。
1870
中国移民占加州劳动力的25
1873
金融恐慌开始了长达6年的“长期萧条”,导致暴动和罢工,反移民情绪增加。
1877
旧金山骚乱”是由长期萧条期间失业率上升以及旧金山唐人街地区的种族暴力所驱使
1879
爱尔兰饥荒常常被称为有时被称为“迷你饥荒”或“安哥拉”,是爱尔兰最后一次重大的饥荒。
1880
美国经济复苏,导致移民到美国爆炸。 由于美国的工业化,工业蓬勃发展。 在十八世纪八十年代,近一百五十万德国人离开家园到美国定居。 1882年,有史以来最多的25万人进入该国。美国开始通过法律限制移民。 1881年至1890年间,有5246 613名移民进入美国。 在十八世纪八十年代,意大利移民到美国的人数达六十万。美国犹太人口:23万至30万(占总人口的0.466%)。 美国华裔移民在西海岸有105,465人。 他们组成了加州十分之一的人口。 几乎所有的早期华裔移民都是广东省六区文化程度较低的年轻男性。
美国政府修订的“伯林盖姆条约”允许美国限制中国劳工的进入,但不禁止。
1882
限制移民的法律“移民法”通过了。“排华法案”暂时中止非技术性华工入境十年。 原本打算作为临时措施,通过了额外的移民法,延长了排除期限。“排华法”增加了对意大利农业劳动力的需求,但限制了移民到美国的数量。
1883
为了筹建自由女神像基座而筹集的一首十四行诗 “ 新巨人是美国诗人艾玛·拉撒路 ( Emma Lazarus 1849-1887)。 艾玛·拉撒路1849722日出生于纽约市 ,西班牙裔犹太人家庭。 她是七个孩子中的第四个,家业是一个富有的犹太商人和炼糖者。 拉撒路一方的曾祖父是德国人 ; 其余的拉撒路和内森的祖先,最早来自葡萄牙 ,早在美国革命之前就居住在纽约 ,是第一批到美国的犹太移民。 拉撒路的伟大祖母在母亲身边,Grace Seixas Nathan1752年出生于纽约)也是一位诗人。 拉撒路通过她的母亲与美国最高法院副法官 Benjamin N. Cardozo 有关系 。 她从小就受过私人教育,她学习了美国和英国的文学 ,还学习了几种语言,包括德语 , 法语和意大利语 。年轻时,她被诗歌吸引,在十一岁时写下她的第一首歌词。
1886
1028在纽约港落成自由女神像,这是所有来自意大利的移民的欢迎地标。
1888
斯科特法案通过,禁止中国人暂时离境后重新进入美国。
1891
1891年移民法”规定移民的检查和驱逐,并导致了埃利斯岛移民中心的开放。
1892
埃利斯岛移民中心(1892 - 1954年)开放,来自包括爱尔兰在内的欧洲移民受到体检和法律考试。 埃利斯岛移民中心是一个可怕的考验,但是“老移民”却偏好于此,很少有德国人被拒之门外;不到2%的来自爱尔兰和意大利的移民被拒之门外。
1903
新巨像”这首十四行诗被刻在铜牌上,并安装在底座的下层。 “新巨人”是1883112日在展览开幕式上阅读的第一个参赛作品,并通过出版的目录与展览保持联系,直到18858月底座获得全额资助后关闭展览, 但是在1886年的这个雕像开幕式上被遗忘了,并没有扮演任何角色。然而,在这段时间里,它出现在约瑟夫普利策的 “ 纽约世界 ”以及“纽约时报”上 。 1901年,拉撒路的朋友乔治娜·舒伊勒(Georgina Schuler)开始努力纪念拉扎鲁斯和她的诗歌,1903年成功地将一首带有诗句的牌匾放在自由女神像的底座内壁上。
1904
中国移民被永久排除在入籍之外
1906
旧金山地震以及随之而来的毁灭性的火灾,摧毁了移民记录,并导致了被称为“纸儿”和“纸女儿”的趋势。 新移民的文件被伪造,声称父母在美国允许进入美国。
1907
限制性的1907年移民法获得通过。 在1901年至1910年间,移民人数达到前所未有的高度,共有8,795,386名移民抵达美国。
1910
天使岛移民站(1910 - 1940)在加利福尼亚州的旧金山湾开放,经天使岛审查的移民中有11%至30%被拒绝入境并返回中国。
1911
迪林汉姆委员会发表的报告指出,与来自北欧的“老移民”相比,来自中国,亚洲和南欧的“新移民”是劣等的,没有受过教育的和没有技术的,“新移民”没有与美国人融合。 迪林汉姆委员会的报告认为,“新移民”对美国的社会和文化构成严重威胁,应该大大减少这种移民的数量。
1924
1924年的“移民法”进一步限制移民,排除了所有的华人移民。87%的入境许可证来自爱尔兰,英国,德国和斯堪的纳维亚的移民。
1933
纳粹党执政,导致德国难民逃往美国。
1943
排华法案”被1943年的“马格努森法案”废除,该法案规定了每年的移民配额和扩大公民权
1965
移民与国籍法”(Hart-Celler Law)废除了原籍国对移民的限制。
1965年至今
开放中国移












Thursday, January 11, 2018

One Page at A Time

One Page at A Time
Laijon Liu 20180111

turn one page at a time
it’s boring or interesting
you’ve got only this book
so you must flip to the end

finish a chapter of emotion
that gives you tears or laughters
and another chapter of thoughts
that you must remember or ignore

stick to the roles and narrative
be calm to the twists and turns
the story has its own flow
so you mustn’t take it to heart


Chinese:
一页一页的翻

一页翻过,又一页
或是无聊,或是有趣
你只有这本书在手
就把它一页页的翻完

一个情感的篇章结束
让你欢笑或掉泪
又一篇章的思想
你必须牢记或忽略

跟着角色和叙事
冷静的面对曲折
故事总有它自己的流程
你就别太把它放在心上





Chinatown Dream


Chinatown Dream
Laijon Liu 20180111

I get out of subway station and see
the clean streets, the quiet surrounding
affordable rent on not so rundown housing
in the swept parks, kids playing and laughing
the local business employees are paid
for official holidays and sick days
roast ducks, juicy chicken hung behind windows
the restaurant grades are all A

grandmas are dancing in the parks
so the short skirt cheerleaders [1]
should dance there too
real stolen gold Rolex and brand names
are sold for only 50 bucks each [2]
and finally, this old chink can [3]
get his small hands
on a pussy too [4]

Note:
[1] "short skirt cheerleaders” refer to mainstream entertainment program, such as NFL, NBA, prime time presentation and show that Chinatown grandmas never gonna be assimilated, still live in their mindset.
[2]"real stolen rolex” refer to the peddling items on Canal street, before 90s the times sold on street were stolen or robbed from local, real things at low price; after 90s, China opened up, most items are sold counterfeit from China in shipping containers.
[3] "old chink" refer to Chinatown, and Chinese arrived nyc before 80s, they are peasants from Southern China, most of them have no education, only worked in Chinatown restaurants and local sweatshops 10-12 hours each day, paid lower than minimum wage by the local educated small business immigrant Chinese. there are two classes in China, same as in Chinatown. their dream was out of grasp of poverty in China, under communist regime and back to Qing Dynasty. they are the burn out and left out people. that's how an empire built. I learned the 'chink' word from some American folktales, not from 21 century US street. another word "coolie" originated from two Chinese character, Hard Labor, this word is most offensive than the Chink word I think.   
[4]"get his small hands on a pussy” is line inspired by you know who. it’s a great line. It shows what man wants by nature, and I use “get” not “grab”, because “get” is not offensive word, more of a consensual verb; but “grab” is non consensual. this should now be an American Idiom, same as grabbed by the balls, grab the bull by its horn, it states how women are treat and valued not only in American culture, but also in most parts of the world. compare the ratio of men and women in each country's office and big corps. also, only a star can do that, would that be one interpretation of the Dream?
[5] Chinatown, Dream, old chink, pussy... perfect word games to preserve the history. (also, not to be obscene, I find many "pussy" word in poetry and literature than dick or penis, it seems dick penis... the male sex organ image project on the mind aint that poetic or classy as the P word, Shakespeare uses "Treasure" to project P word in his sonnets, and "will" to his male part, mastery.





Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Hunger


Hunger
Laijon Liu 20180110

It fills you, but it can never fulfill you
when you feed it, it’s temporally gone
yet for a short period of time it reoccurs
it’s only incurable disease you must suffer

you serve it, like a good slave to its master
and you depend on it, like the air you breathe
and you’ve learned so many ways to please it
it drives you to do many unspeakable things

it gives you wings, and eyes to scan the mountain range
it gives you claws, patience, and ability to disappear
it gives you fins, and balls to dive into the icy water
it changes your brain, and reconstructs your chromosomes

were you the one stalking silently in the jungle?
were you the one swaggering and roaring on the plains?
were you both majestic and terrifying?
powerful, yet so tormented at same time?

Nature has fashioned you with that single desire
she has mothered you her only beast-child
milk, meats and all the unfortunate victims
feeding you like maidens' hearts to Apollo's lips

hunger, hunger, starving beast
in the jungle, a devouring feast
what mind can comprehend
the burning flame of purgatory?

In distant land you can’t reach
there the clear sweet streams
there the fulfill fruits you eat
there your soul rests in peace









Monday, January 8, 2018

空空


空空
Laijon liu 20180108

花前不看酒半盏,
事事揪心强自宽。
生来悟透万般苦,
才知空空是金经。



Wednesday, January 3, 2018

Child


Child
Laijon Liu 20180103

crayons and color pencils
make blank papers rainbow worlds

mummy, daddy, and me
we hand in hand in sunshine meadows

a natural born chattering rhymer
never follows the rules of grammar

many folded pages of animal books
for marking the category of cute

a gurgling spring, a romping cub
suddenly lunge into your arms, that melts you