Category: Artifacts

He ride a bike on the trail.
On a slight incline, I tap him on the back.
“加油!” (press on!)
He pedals for thirty yards before slowing down.

My mom chats while we watch them.
I try a pull-up at the play structure.
One here; one there; shift my grip for one more.
A jolt shoots through my right bicep.

A net connects two platforms, she grabs a railing and crosses the divide.
He stands on one side.
“勇敢, 我在看着你” (be brave, I’m watching you)
“不是! Silver Star 不要走过 wires!” (nope! Silver Star doesn’t walk on wires!)

䷗

thunder in the ground
the first king went to seclusion
in seven days Silver Star rose from the west

妈妈 (mommy) = “M-A-M-A”
shortened to “M-A”

poopoo = “P-O-P-O”
became to “两个P-O”

peepee = “P-P”
lengthened to “两个P”

䷨䷍

a lake below the mountain
fire in the sky
elements re-combine
with the times

He tried the big kids swing.

Look at your sister!

Push your legs.
Pull them in.
Push out.
Pull in.
Push,
Pull,

Boo
Wooo
Boo
Wooo
Boo
Wooo
Boo

…

䷏䷱

thunder strikes the ground
the wind pushes
until gravity pulls him back

“Lollipop!”

He called for his long awaited desert.
The boy finished his 3-hour lunch.

I had cleaned the garage and was taking a shower.
Momma was tidying the upstairs bedroom.

妈妈下来!
爸爸会自己洗澡!

Mommy come down!
Daddy can wash himself!

䷫䷠

fish in the bag
red on a stick

The boy covered the footstool with blankets.

弟弟, 收拾你的 doghouse 吧.
(Little brother, clean up the dog house.)

不是, 这是给大象!
(No, this is for the elephant!)

Violet the wooden elephant peaked out from her new home.

䷀䷤

dragon appearing in the field
don’t hide the elephant on the shelf

They wanted to play Quidditch.
She cut out six paper hoops.
Taped three each on opposite walls.

We watched the rules on youtube.
From the movies and in real life.
Pulled up stadium noise.

I was a bludger throwing plush cakes at the girl.
She threw a red ball at the hoops and chased her brother.
He whirled around as the snitch, grasping a yellow ball.

Tiger and Daddy Bear were drafted as blockers.
We switched roles.
A din of creatures, projectiles, and people.

Momma called us down for lunch.
We couldn’t hear her.
She started without us.

䷩䷦

wind and thunder
the image of increase
witches flying on paper tubes

Frozen Pizza or
Frozen Spanakopita?
(to accompany congee for dinner)

We couldn’t decide, so we asked the kids.
They couldn’t decide either, so they called an election.

Cut out forty-five little squares.
On each square she drew two boxes with “S” and “P”.
They converted an empty kleenex box into a ballot box.

The stuffed animals lined up to vote.
They polled the transformers downstairs.

25 for Pizza.
21 for Spanakopita.

Pizza for dinner.

䷘

of the people
rich in virtue
by the people
in harmony with the time
for the people

He placed toys at the foot of the stairs.

Transformers
Lincoln Logs
A family of bears
Building blocks

“It’s unsafe. Clean it up.”

He wanted to photograph his Shop.
I unlocked my phone.

Twenty minutes later, they were taking photos around the house.
The stair — still a hazard.

䷲䷘

shock goes hither and thither
watch your step

Our girl met a classmate at the park.

They climb the play structures.
Our boy is an evil dragon, scared of the sands.
They keep him at bay with magic wands.

He follows them.
They chase him.

As the sun sets, they bury the wands beneath a bush.
The little dragon heads home.

䷭

within the earth wood grows
the image of pushing upward

Mommy went out for groceries.
We put up the tree.

I set up the base as they dug through the ornaments.
She stacked the sections.
I wrapped lights — stars, birds, and bulbs.
They hung the ornaments.

I fussed with the timer and batteries.
They drew at their desk.
Sheets of paper, markers, and a scissor.
New original 8.5 x 11 ornaments.

Snowmen in our desert.

䷯

the well is being lined
a month of revelry
no blame.

䷽