Youth and Poetry Project

By Su Yun

Wind in May

Pei Xiyue (10), Yuxiu Primary School
The wind of May
brushes across farmers' cheeks.
Those burning drops of sweat
sparkle with hopes of harvest.

The wind of May
blows over the sanitation workers' brooms.
Within the raised dust
lies the clean morning glow of the whole city.

2. The Diligent Spring

Ning Jinghan (10), Yuxiu Primary School
The diligence of spring
hides in the warm wind.
It blows gently
and sends the fragrance of flowers to the earth.

It hides in the wings of little bees,
who buzz nonstop, gathering nectar all day long.

It hides in the songs of birds,
who carry twigs to build their new nests.

It hides in the footsteps of old oxen,
ploughing open rows of fresh soil.

3. I Write a Poem for the Moon

Chai Shuchang (10), Yuxiu Primary School
I wrote a poem for the moon,
and read it out to her:
"Dear Moon, my dear Moon……"

She listened and smiled,
smiling and smiling,
till she curved herself into a crescent.

4. Thunderstorm

Yuan Kailun (10), Yuxiu Primary School
After the thunderstorm roared past,
the grass has drunk its fill.

The sun runs out from behind clouds,
and the puddles left by the rain
become paradise for children.

5. Wings of Yearning

Sin Wanyi (10), Yuxiu Primary School
The wings of longing carry me away
to the long river of time.

I see Grandma waving her hand to me.
Yet the moment I run toward her,
she fades away into the vast sky.

I touch my soaked pillow,
and weave all my longing into lines of poetry.

6. Dream

Su Moyan (11), Gongye Road Primary School, Gaocheng District, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province
Mom,
don’t keep saying
my hair is messy after waking up.
It’s because my dreams are searching for a nice place to stay.

Sometimes,
dreams get lost,
leaving my head all tangled.

Other times,
they shrink tiny,
creeping quietly between strands of hair.

No matter what,
amid the thick jungle of hair,
they always slip away silently,
never letting me see their true faces.

7. Secrets in My Pocket

Su Moyan (11), Gongye Road Primary School, Gaocheng District, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province
Mom was washing clothes,
and emptied my pocket.
A golden melon seed that brings good luck,
three shiny game coins,
five sour candies given by classmates,
and a stack of small notes hopped out too.
On them were written:
“Ah”, “Wow”, “Sigh”.

With such ease,
they gave away all my little secrets.

8. The Bed

Su Moyan (11), Gongye Road Primary School, Gaocheng District, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province
In a quiet corner,
on an unremarkable maple tree,
perches a bird’s nest.

The sunlight finds it too chilly,
the autumn wind finds it too harsh,
the little birds find it too cramped,
the ants find it too high.

Only one red maple leaf does not mind,
lying there peacefully all alone.

9. Light

Xu Mingze (10), Guanzhuang Primary School, Jiashizhuang Town, Gaocheng District, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province
What is ice’s least favorite thing?
It’s light, of course.

When light strikes ice,
the ice cannot bear the weight,
melting into water.

The water glows pale under the light,
just like ice
holding up a small white flag to surrender.

10. Greedy Snow

Pei Chenyu (10), Guanzhuang Primary School, Jiashizhuang Town, Gaocheng District, Shijiazhuang City, Hebei Province
Candied hawthorns for sale—
The hawthorn vendor has come.

Soon,
all the children run outside.

One last skewer remains.
Snowflakes drift down
and buy the final string of candied hawthorns.

11. Dusk
Zhang Haitong (11), Huangshantou Town Central Primary School
The sun sinks along the horizon
Vehicles and pedestrians pass on the road
I head home with my schoolbag
Buy an ice stick
So sweet, so satisfying
Birds fly back to their nests
The whole world drifts off to sleep

12. Joys of Summer
Huang Zhenyu (10), Huangshantou Town Central Primary School
The little joys of summer
are a roll of summer mat
an ice pop
an episode of TV series
and a peaceful happy mood

13. Red
He Zikang (10), Huangshantou Town Central Primary School
The world cannot do without red
The sun is red
Apples are red
And anger also burns red

14. Night
Sun Xiaofan (10), Huangshantou Town Central Primary School
Night is quiet,
because
when night comes,
all creatures fall asleep.
Night is beautiful,
because
the moon hangs high in the sky,
countless stars come to decorate it.

15. Light
Luo Xi (10), Huangshantou Town Central Primary School
Light can conquer darkness,
and we all love the light.
Light fills every corner of the world,
light is everywhere

Su Yun, 17 years old, is a member of the Chinese Poetry Society and a young poet. His works have been published in more than ten countries. He has published two poetry collections in China, namely Inspiration from All Things and Wisdom and Philosophy, and one in India titled WITH ECSTASY OF MUSINGS IN TRANQUILITY. He has won the Guido Gozzano Orchard Award in Italy, the Special Award for Foreign Writers in the City of Pomezia, and was praised by the organizing committee as the "Craftsman of Chinese Lyric Poetry". He has also received the "Cuttlefish Bone" Best International Writer Award for those under 25.

*Note: All these poems have obtained the approval of their teachers, who personally submitted them to me. Additionally, consent has also been given by the teenagers themselves and their parents.

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