Poems for the moon by Ouyang Yu: Asian-Australian poets read for Lunar New Year

Ouyang Yu performs his work 9.19 pm.

His story is part of a collection of works called Poems for the Moon.

To celebrate the Lunar New Year in 2020 (Year of the Rat), five Asian Australian poets reflect on tradition, legacy, identity and sense of place through verses and voices, poetry beats. Heather Joan Day, Eileen Chong, Ouyang Yu, Jessie Tu, Keith Hung Tran come from diverse Asian backgrounds, offering distinct poetry styles and different cultural experiences navigating a contemporary Australia.

Produced by Radio National

Transcript:

I've got nothing to show, really.

All I've ever got are shown in my photographs

of rust

of fallen but whitened leaves

of the same bird captured alone on a line

before it takes flight.

Of clouds bigger than a tooth

or smaller than a country.

Of heat that shapes all birds in a horizontal 'V'.

Of things so useless

no glance would he even shed a rain drop

of grace.

Of little about myself but everything about everything else

that seeks no attention.

Of a life that knows itself to be aimlessly busy

till it is time to end itself.

Of all things that exist simply for themselves.

Of a desire once again and for always

that wants to sever the relationships.

Of only words that are only words.

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