A VESSEL by Zong Xiaobai

A VESSEL

Zong Xiaobai

It ain’t simple, cause and effect;

such as why boiling water looses steam

being poured into a cup,

or for instance, being alone for long,

one becomes a friendly neighbor

to one's alter ego,

the acute pain of not being needed

gets old and is no longer the cause of death.

Certainly Confucius couldn't contain his pain

after saying to his student that

“Man should be boundless, unlike a vessel.”

his pain was not the effect

of emptying out of the fire in his heart.

nor for the friendly compromise

between his ego and alter ego,

for I know a vessel’s sorrow

has nothing to do with water.

About the poet:

Zong Xiaobai, whose original name is Ling Zhi, female, was born in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province in 1977. She is a member of the Jiangsu Writers Association.

Her poems have been published in Poetry Periodical, Stars, Yangtze River Poetry Journal and other literary periodicals.

She has received numerous awards and honors, including the Nomination Award for the 8th Red Sorghum Poetry Award by Poetry Exploration, the Top Prize & Five-Star Good Poem Award of "Beloved: Spark Warm Poems 100", the Listed Poet of the 5th (2016) China Good Poem List, the 2017 Poet of the Year by Poetry Weekly, the Winner Award of the 1st Session of the 2017 Chinese Online Poetry Competition, and one of the Top 10 Poets of the 5th (2015) China Dabie Mountain Poetry Award.

Her poems have been included in anthologies such as Poetry Appreciation and Poetry Lights Up Life.