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Friday, June 10, 2011

somehow, the longan is bitter on my tongue

By Elizabeth Yu
Age 13, Grade 8

Gold Medal

____________________________________


when I was five years old
my mother dipped my feet
in a warm bath of blood and herbs
I remember her tears like rain
splashing about my feet
like a timid absolution
“this is mother love,” she whispered
her hands shaking as she
gently curled my toes under my feet
and cracked my arch in half
my scream shattered the peace
of the two white doves
nesting in the peach tree
outside the rice paper windows
they flew away
never to be seen again
Awesome person who posted this was at

41 comments:

  1. BelleJune 10, 2011 at 7:02 PM

    I'm guessing this poem is about forcing girls to have small feet in China? Years ago, when I read about how it affected the little girls, I couldn't stop thinking about it and it was hard to sleep. My heart was crushed to think of it.

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  2. TIMMYTHEROBOTJune 10, 2011 at 7:27 PM

    This is well done - invokes a powerful image in my head

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  3. GabiJune 10, 2011 at 7:35 PM

    Beautiful. But painful.

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  4. edJune 10, 2011 at 9:14 PM

    that sounds horrible :|

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  5. ChickLitGirlJune 11, 2011 at 1:00 AM

    creepy but awesome

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  6. KuronekoJune 11, 2011 at 1:45 AM

    This is beautiful :)

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  7. aakashJune 11, 2011 at 5:19 AM

    Poignant and beautiful...
    Loved it Elizabeth!

    aJ

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  8. AzJune 11, 2011 at 5:28 AM

    Beautiful poem and profound coming from a 13 year old :)

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  9. InnocentlyGreenJune 11, 2011 at 6:40 AM

    Wow such pain...

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  10. NasJune 11, 2011 at 9:19 AM

    This is an extremely profound, hard hitting and powerful poem.
    Thank you EEEEEEEESHIE for sharing, and I hope you have a lovely weekend.
    :)

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  11. Furree KattJune 11, 2011 at 1:08 PM

    hard to imagine an eight grader writing something so deep :O very nice!

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  12. YanaJune 11, 2011 at 2:24 PM

    I shuddered reading it! Awesome poem.

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  13. Hanis.June 11, 2011 at 8:51 PM

    Wow.

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  14. AshJune 11, 2011 at 9:38 PM

    I got chills reading that.
    Very nice work.

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  15. NatalieJune 12, 2011 at 12:57 AM

    Oh my, these prodigious 13-year-olds just keep getting better and better... and better. :D

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  16. Lola XJune 12, 2011 at 1:07 PM

    Hmmm, makes you think

    Lola x
    http://lola-x.blogspot.com

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  17. AnonymousJune 12, 2011 at 1:17 PM

    Wow. A 13-year-old kid wrote ts? Awesome!!

    Shesh! That really sounds painful.

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  18. Mr. CactusJune 12, 2011 at 3:49 PM

    This is an amazing work of pros.

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  19. AnonymousJune 12, 2011 at 4:30 PM

    I think I may well up.

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  20. misticalniaJune 12, 2011 at 10:44 PM

    Damn, this is deep.

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  21. Jenny PetricekJune 12, 2011 at 11:06 PM

    All I can say is, WOW. That this poem was written by an 8th grader is absolutely amazing!

    The word choice, the imagery, the shock of realizing what is happening to this child...it's the work of a master poet. Would love to see some of her other work!

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  22. AnonymousJune 13, 2011 at 8:51 AM

    Whoa...just...whoa.

    Thanks for coming by the joint last week. I'm just getting around to responding, but wanted to pop over and drop a hi.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Biff TannerJune 13, 2011 at 6:33 PM

    Frickin sweet

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  24. gmanJune 13, 2011 at 9:50 PM

    It was either going to be her or someone else... I guess that's a mother's love, they will hurt you so that others do not.

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  25. JoolJune 13, 2011 at 10:33 PM

    Great poem but yeah i can feel the pain.

    thanks for dropping by on my page. I am your new follower. Hope you will follow my page too :)

    Have a nice day!

    iamjool.blogspot.com

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  26. DeviationJune 14, 2011 at 12:31 PM

    *BEEEP*

    Nice Poem. >.> I wish I could write something like that.

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  27. Vice VersaJune 14, 2011 at 12:53 PM

    This is so beautifully written, and so sad, and so profound.
    WOW.
    she deserved that gold medal.

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  28. BikramJune 15, 2011 at 6:38 AM

    right I did not get it :( I am not that clever
    cracked your feet did it hurt or what ...

    Bikram's

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  29. EndlessJune 17, 2011 at 7:24 AM

    a bit extreme? :)

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  30. themajesstyJune 18, 2011 at 7:44 AM

    i love this.

    And I still can't believe she's 13!

    *DONS MY CONE OF SHAME*

    About your question on my blog, I'm definitely leaving - finishing my junior and senior year of high school in Singapore. (:

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  31. StrawberryJune 18, 2011 at 3:57 PM

    Wow...that's frightening.

    In response to your comment on my blog, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT'S VERY NICE OF YOU.

    ReplyDelete
  32. Lexy @ QUIRKY EXPLOSIONJune 18, 2011 at 10:49 PM

    Eeeek. This is a beautiful poem, but also very painful to read. Very vivid.

    (On a side note, LOV ETHE NAME OF YOUR BLOG.)

    QUIRKYEXPLOSION.blogspot.com

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  33. misticalniaJune 20, 2011 at 4:31 PM

    Gave me a serious case of goosebumps.

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  34. NicolaJune 20, 2011 at 6:24 PM

    beautiful.

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  35. SarahJune 21, 2011 at 12:48 AM

    Woahhh. Where do you find these?

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  36. RedHeadRobJune 21, 2011 at 6:56 PM

    Very wow.

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  37. Jakub MańkowskiJune 23, 2011 at 11:09 AM

    very sad poem, but also beautiful.
    please visit my blog after the beep. *beeeeeep*
    i follow you. jmankowski.blogspot.com

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  38. EndlessJune 27, 2011 at 3:37 AM

    r.l. stine :)

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  39. Sparkle SpazJune 28, 2011 at 10:14 PM

    Oh my gosh. Social studies of the 6th grade, it's all coming back *shudders* it was so painful to read about!! The horror!!

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  40. That Blond GuyJune 30, 2011 at 8:23 PM

    Wow, this is amazing.

    HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  41. AnonymousJuly 2, 2011 at 9:29 AM

    Where are youuuu??

    ReplyDelete

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