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The Climb

Poem

By Zhou Yifan


Pinch deep into rain wounds

and push—

ancestries carved in holes

for fingers to dig into

higher. Higher.

Its bruises beautiful tools

so children can see years ahead

collapsed into periods

that never ends.

And they say we are not divine.

The mountain goats are surviving

and we are laughing

there is nothing here but air

we are not just surviving

we are living.

A good day is stone-soaked fingers

callously-kissed, red lipsticks

white dust everywhere saying

we were here, because this snow stays

in summer.

We are not meant to be here

but we are.

Do they not see where we stand?

And they say we are not divine.


 

Zhou Yifan is a secondary 2 student studying at Nan Hua High School. He loves rock climbing and poetry, and this is his attempt in combining his two hobbies.

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