Reared by my strict grandmother

In her tight rein 

There was no room for compromise 

No grace period allowed

With a broomstick in her hand

She awaited me at the door

When I came home late

From my wild excursion 

To chase my dream

Lashes I got from her in my childhood

Though painful in my memory

Were never as harsh 

As those I received from

The cruel reality in my adulthood

Mercifully realities are not all cold

There were times my dreams came true

Just like hugs my grandmother gave me

When I did things right

When grandmother passed 

My once fearful reality disappeared

But left me ungrounded for a while

My life floated in emptiness

Until I was able to find her 

In my dream

By Shih-Fang Wang

From: United States