By Luchang Zhu Morning in Houston or Hong Kong,or somewhere in my dream.I found a narrow alleywhere I could smellhalf of Southeast Asia.A diner called “Ding How,”a name stranded in 1945.The table was sticky.The menu was sticky.A bowl of Vietnamese beef pho.A cup of Malaysian white coffee.The steam and fragrance riselike incense smokesearching for heaven.In … Continue reading Breakfast
Memory Cells
By Luchang Zhu Are there two identical clouds in the sky?If not,why does this one feel familiar, like a cloud from my hometown returning unannounced?Are there two identical people on the planet?If not,why does your presence stir something in me, like B cells recognizing a second encounter?Are there two identical days in a life?If not,why … Continue reading Memory Cells
Key West
By Luchang Zhu On a bleak winter afternoon,I sat alone in a Panda Express in Illinois.A fortune cookie whispered:“You will cross mountains and oceansand find your way to warmth.”So I flew to Key West—the balmy Conch Republic,where time moves slow as amber honey.Morning found me—sunlight sifting through mist,softening into golden silk.A drunk slept against a … Continue reading Key West
