Bamboos in our backyard

Lined up in a row

Soaring skyward

Their cylindrical stems

stood like slender sentries

Safeguarding the border

When wind blew bamboos swayed

Their leaves danced

With rustles sounded like

muffled chatters of a crowd

Their green stalks bowed

With euphonious creaking sounds

Mom said that was bamboo singing

At night it served as my lullaby

Bamboos intoned not short notes

Rather longer as tunes

Sort of cello sound

Mixed with springy sputters

Mesmerized with the unique tunes

I was curious how the long stalks

Emitted such melodies

After moved away I still heard

Bamboos singing in my dreams

Returned home years later

Hoping to hear bamboos singing again

But I met up with withered culms

Of lifeless bamboos in the backyard

Like silent carcasses singing no more

Mom lamented

Last year all bamboos flowered and

That ended their life cycles

Suddenly I notice many wrinkles on mom’s face

Wonder since when aging has creeped up on her

And what more this time thief

Will steal away next time I come back

By Shih-Fang Wang

From: United States