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ARTS AND CULTURE

Revolutions | The Kingsbury Tales

  • 20 April 2006

Revolutions   Full sick I am, heart like a stamped upon grape, head lost in the backwaters where regret dwells like ancient pike eager to feast. I have lost the path. I have sundered the light. I have become my father in the eyes of my son!   Full sick I am, juices dried up, thoughts a pack of barking dogs fighting over my bones. I have failed the test. I have embraced the dark. I hear my father’s voice as I shout at my son!   Full sick I am, tired to the core, shedding tears at night while my son sleeps - wanting to embrace him promising to manage things better and knowing it is not easy to untangle knots woven in me years before my son ever saw the light of day.

Danny Fahey

The Kingsbury Tales: the storeman’s tale

In Kingsbury, when summer is not yet available And spring is but another season of pollens or hua fen

In the lead up to An occasion That makes the warehouse storeman

Increasingly uncomfortable As he prepares for More Christmas sales and boredom The longer I stay, he says

In this country The stupider I grow If you know what I mean Money made us Us made money

And money made money I hated ballet dancing But when I started I was only 5 And made my way To the top

Then I quit At 20 For this is a profession You eat youth rice in You have to be young In it To make it

Or else You become a storeman Like me Or a stockbroker Like Cunxin or Tsunhsin Keeping Faith Is never part of the deal The important thing is keep your kids alive

Ouyang Yu