Yuan Changming

Yuan Changming

Yuan Changming edits Poetry Pacific with Allen Yuan. Credits include 16 chapbooks, 12 Pushcart nominations for poetry and 2 for fiction besides appearances in Best of the Best Canadian Poetry (2008-17), BestNewPoemsOnline and 2109 other publications across 51 countries. Yuan began writing and publishing fiction in 2022, with his debut (hybrid) novel Detaching just released by Alien Buddha Press.

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East vs West: an Essay on Cultural Differences

During the great flood

Noah hid himself in the ark

While Dayu tried to contain it

With his bare hands  

Prometheus stole fire 

From Olympian gods

While Sui Ren got it 

By drilling wood hard

Smart Daedalus crafted wings 

To fly away from his prison-tower 

While Old Fool removed the whole 

Mountain blocking his way

Helios enjoyed driving his chariot

All along in the sky 

While Kuafu chased the sun

To take it down & tame it 

Sisyphus rolls the boulder uphill

Because of his deceitfulness, while

Wu Gang cuts the laurel as a punishment 

For distractions in learning