Ready for Retirement

no, no, a yard sale though
i have been putting up here
since the sun started to sing
but really i am no salesperson
by practice or profession
not even for a single day
yes, just a loonie for that

neither because it is beginning
right to rain or light to refrain
nor because i have sold out
all my priceable stuff
no, this one is almost brand new

but before the curtain falls
i need indeed to retreat
to the backstage of my life
where i can finally take off
all my clothes, masks, and socks
to continue my boyish dreams
to be a poet, painter
or trumpet player
before i go to bed in my home
sure, take it for free
if you truly like it

From: 
Vancouver




ABOUT THE POET ~
Mike Yuan, also known as Yuan Zhengming in Chinese, is a 5-time Pushcart nominee and author of two poetry collections. Growing up in a remote and impoverished village in central China, Mike received his post-secondary education in Shanghai and Tianjin, worked as a college lecturer and published several monographs in addition to many journal articles before moving to Canada as an international student. With a PhD in English from the University of Saskatchewan, Mike currently lives and works as a property manager in Vancouver. Since mid-2005, Mike Yuan has had poetry appear in more than 700 literary magazines and anthologies across 27 countries.


Last updated August 27, 2013