My grandfather keeps his roll of 宣纸
for calligraphy hidden in drawers of dust—
history books, frayed silk, his parents’ photos,
all corners unkempt.
When I watch him at night, I see
a million strokes of black ink ribboning
his white sky, the end of each line like wings
of a satin fan. But his words are untethered,
crocheted so tenderly I wonder if they will crack
in the heat of a kiln–if each Chinese character is
woven strong enough. I leave his office, the light
surrendering to my shadow, the only sound behind me
the crumples of 宣纸. Then,
silence.
Note: 宣纸 (xuānzhǐ): Xuan paper, a type of paper used for calligraphy.
George Sun is a 16-year old poet from Canada. His work appears or is forthcoming in Blue Marble Review and Polar Expressions, among others. Apart from writing, you can find him assembling jigsaw puzzles.