i have inherited your eyes,

my iris a jade bi the color of brown ochre

& my pupils the perpetual night sky,

brimming with luster. 

through these eyes

i witnessed you kill God

& embrace victory, become a dragon

& conquer the Pacific skies. 

you formed 大白兔奶糖(white rabbit creamy candy)

using nothing but oolong tea bags,

made pink & green 汤圆(tang yuan) out of the

sticky rice paper - told me you were a sacred beast -

& flew to the sun to dine with Buddha.

yet now you, my 婆婆(grandma),

have retired from your profession.

you smoke a cigarette,

charred ash on your rugged fingertips

create imprints of

ulnar loops & accidental whorls.

swallow the earth, chew, & spit it out

like those salted dried sugar plums;

sit on the weary mahogany bench while

pondering the nature of existence,

stare at the chalk marks we call shooting stars

on the blackboard we name space and doze off

into eternity.