By Pearl Lu 10/13/2024
By my grandmother’s house in Shandong
Is the Nanhu Park
Where willow trees line the pond.
Every day
I would grab a little wooden stool
And watch men fish
And watch the old ladies play Mahjong
And gossip about the latest family drama.
All under the willow tree.
During lunchtime
I would bike back to Grandma’s house
And take a nap.
Then, when the sun would settle down a little
I would stroll back
Under the willow tree.
Nanhu Park became my safe haven.
I could yell into the pond at midnight
I could pluck branches and bring them home
I could chat with grandpas and grandmas
And share some of my latest stories with them.
Or on some slower days
I would just stare off into the distance
And imagine how I could change the neighborhood
But at the same time
Oh, how I wish
That Nanhu Park stays like this
Forever.
So my mother can come back and see this place as it is
And my children
And their children
And their children.
Months before I visited the Summer Palace in Beijing
I had a dream about it.
So, walking around the Summer Palace
Felt safe
Right
Calming.
I’ve seen the waters and buildings in my dream
I’ve seen the lotus flowers in my mother’s paintings.
As a gift,
I gifted my mother
Specially carved stones
Of her name
The ones that replicate
The ones on her scrolls
That she has lost
Over the years.
They were carved personally
At a small, humble shop
In front of the
National Art Museum
In Beijing, China.
After seeing Nanhu Island in the Summer Palace,
I felt as if I was back in Shandong
By my grandmother’s house
By Nanhu Park.
The familiar name made me smile.
On the way home
From the Summer Palace
Something that caught me in my tracks
Were these willow trees
Above lotus flowers.
A scene
Which looks like something
From my mother’s paintings
Screenshot
Except she’s never painted
Willow trees before
I think.
Because she is
A willow tree.
And her hands painting
Are its branches.
Swaying gently
Across the xuan paper.