My Chinese ancestry and love for things meatless prompt me to pay tribute to a favourite Chinese delicacy, savoury spring rolls. 

These delights, filled with turnips, carrots, or bamboo shoots, complete many Chinese meals. Flavorful and utterly delightful, these are 24-hour snacks. Yes, we literally eat them at any time of the day. Though vegetarian, chefs fry deep them in hot oil, so they are best eaten soon after frying. 

Enjoy this sonnet to spring rolls.

 All rolled up, crisp, they crackle

White shreds atop orange strips

On the tongue, so palatable

Once bitten, saliva drips

Rolls now merged with lava hot

A taste at once unforgettable

Looks, without substance, it is not

A delight, if forgone, is regrettable

Dish for breakfast, lunch or dinner

Not far from slippery tongue

For want of roll, will not be thinner

But for satisfaction is well won

Crisp spring rolls, a snack delight

For a taste, one will take flight. 

Many of us jump the gun when deciding what another party is like, coming to erroneous conclusions owing to a person’s appearance, background, or speech. In short, we stereotype often because we have to do so fast, or on the spot. 

While not jumping to conclusions is difficult for these reasons, it isn’t a great move. Misunderstandings ensue, of course, some of them volatile. 

Enjoy  these  free verses

Gap

Too wide

And long

To clear

Gap

Stop.
Look. 

Before

the leap

Gap

Cannot

Decide

How wide

Gap

Mind

Needed

Before

Clearing

Gap

Ask

How wide. 

These are not the typical questions that one should ask oneself.:

1) Who are you when your skeleton is exposed?

2) How do your bare bones appear?

3) Are you true to yourself?

4) What is the state of your relationships with others?

5) Does your skeleton charm, or does it scare and harm?

Enjoy Bare Bones, a string of Cinquain.

Bare bones

Their form exposed

Clink together in a

Dance, traipsing to Songs

of you

Bare bones

Their form exposed

Their clickity -clack sounds

Truthful tone

Ringing

Bare bones

Their form exposed

Joining together in

Odd synchrony to play the songs

of truth

Bare bones

Their form exposed

Form a skeleton that

Cannot walk unless all the bones

join together

Bare bones

Their form exposed

They come together in a dance

Either a sight that charms the eyes

Or scares.

Everyone has been involved in situations in which deciding whether to speak up or keep silent is difficult. Saying what you must is a challenge when there are alterations between a mother and a sibling, between a boss and a coworker, and even between oneself and someone else.

Suffering in silence is definitely not a solution. But when is it the right time to say something?

Let the circumstances, the effect of your words, empathy, and 

the relationships between the parties decide how you should respond. Enjoy these cinquains.

Fingers

Affixed to lips

Should slip off and mouth part

When a room is clearly in view

To you

Fingers 

Affixed to lips

Should slip off and mouth part

If they should touch hearts in places

That matter

Fingers 

Affixed to lips

Should slip off and mouth part

If they should touch the mind and sway

In sync

Fingers 

Affixed to lips

Should slip off and mouth part

If they should align souls and pull them

Astride. 

If you are a sibling, you’d find being a shadow of your brother or sister rather familiar. Despite your achievements, you’re somehow never able to compare with him or her. 

Being a little shadow is a painful feeling. You feel as though you don’t count for anything or are capable of doing anything well in the eyes of others. 

If the feeling of being overshadowed overwhelms you, remind yourself that you have skills that surpass the person who casts a shadow over you.

Everyone has weaknesses as well – keep in mind what you can do, and focus on your strengths. Keep your goals doable and realistic. Be kind to yourself and don’t compare yourself with others – you do you. Challenge the negative self-talk and know that you can forge your own path. 

Enjoy these cinquains. 

Little 

Shadow cringes

In the corner of the 

Huge legs of another big form

That block

Little 

Shadow must come

Out of the dark and grow

Big like the huge form which covers

Itself

It knows

What its small hands

Can form with its fingers

And craft with the palms that it knows

To form

Little 

Shadow now big

Stands proud beside the form

Of its bigger, taller sibling

As proud. 

I’m quite certain that all of us would say that they have been on the receiving end of ostracism. I don’t deal with it very well, since it is a deliberate action against someone who does not deserve it. 

Ostracism is emotional abuse. It is difficult to pinpoint and harder to handle because it is subtle. 

Managing ostracism is a complex process. It is difficult to do so, especially when one is a wallflower. 

Seeking support is important, as is assertive communication. People who ostracise wish to communicate negative perspectives of another person, so wallflowers need to maintain healthy perspectives of themselves. While they need to forgive, they must seek inclusion elsewhere. 

Enjoy these freestyle verses. 

Wallflower

Wilting by the door

Shedding petals 

Lagging stem

Wallflower

Needs strength

Of the fertile soil 

Of all seeds sown

Gentle flower

Needs the strength

In supplicant stem

To stand

Wallflower

needs extend

Stem and leaves

Opens its petals 

Embrace. 

Shadows can be overwhelming. You may feel as though you don’t have the right to protest in view of it’s sheer size. If you’ve a friend who has a shadow that overwhelms you, it’s time to step into the light. 

Being overshadowed by others is never a comfortable feeling. You feel that you have so much worth, but it’s hardly ever your turn to make good or shine. 

What should we do if a shadow becomes too big for its black boots? We assert ourselves in no equivocal terms. Besides learning to say no, we can say how we feel about being constantly overwhelmed  and set our boundaries. 

Enjoy! It’s free verse day. 

Shadow

Too large

Looming over

Envelopes

Completely

From within

Its murky 

Depths

Step into

The light

Shadow has

No line

With boldness

Clearly define

Many hands push

Force one’s form

Out of Shadow’s Misshape

Into light’s grace

One’s form turns

And learns 

To lift 

A hand 

Out

No. 

All human beings want to be on top of things. At times, however, we need to release that tight grip. Here’s a villanelle that offers some advice.

He who wears the crown

Holds rein over  place and time

He can claim to own

A relic so  precious

He holds it firmly in his grasp

Fear when it shakes, cautious

His fingers loosen their grip

The ache they feel assuaged

Mind filled with worry lest they slip

Clasp loosened when he tries

And gets others to hold it up

Gets them to hear his cries

Clasp loosened when he discovers

Why he needed the crown

Sets his mind to assuage, handover

The crown is never lost

But he needs to set his mind to find

Must sync with what he needs the most

And not fear Taunt’s cost.