A family gathered, under the glow. 

Fireworks, outside our windows.

Gathered together, before the TV’s light,

Watching the spring festival gala with delight.

Lions dance and dragons aglow,

Dancers fly and singers carol.

A family united, hand in hand, 

Together as one joyous band.

We share our hopes, our wishes and dreams

As the performers dazzle us with their art

And as the night ends, our bond it seems

Has grown even stronger, from the very start

So let us cherish these moments we share

And welcome the new year, with love and care.

its last piece of paper: it's New Year’s Eve!

We squatted around a bench: our table, 

Preparing dumplings for the longest night. 

Legs are numb from squatting down, so we sit. 

We laughed at the punchline from the telly, 

Flour flew from our hands onto the wood floor. 

But we didn’t care about that folly. 

I rode my bike, a tool, a mighty god.

A fearless knight, exploring paths untrod,

A charming world, where dreams took joyous flight!

Through sunlit beams, my laughter echoed bright,

Every trace of icy misery thawed.

As parents were awed, and bad guys outlawed,

With mirth and glee, the air was set alight.

And everyone wanted to rest in bed.

We would all lay and pile onto the couch,

Like little birds going back to their nests.

The movie flashes at us scene by scene,

Bright white lights gleaming towards our faces.

Warmth of blankets and the warmth of family,

All in one, all together forever.

My father trained me to play basketball.

In his long shadow I looked so so small,

His moves cooked me like flaming hot roasters.

Every time he brutally beat me,

He shouted at me “quit being so weak!”

But still each time, victory I would seak -

Each lost game stung and stabbed me like a bee.

reaching to the table that was above.

Laughed, my mom grabbed me by the shoulder.

She hugged me and gifter me warmth.

Her face seemed so content with herself.

I try to grab the toys that were behind her,

She let me reach for what was in her hands,

I felt such joy for the toys l got.

The tart white strings like vines,

Corrupting the citrus with its fine lines.

But as we sit with my luggage between,

I graciously accept with a gleam.

She handles the fruit till it shines,

Scanning each segment, parting the outlines.

Tangerine bitter, silence saccarine.

I cannot forget the sharp and cruel words.

Mom's love is a bright shining treasure,

But in my anger I dimmed it from light.

I wish I could rewind and make things right,

The pain I caused and the damage I made.

Please forgive me Mom, let's heal and restore,

The love we share like never before.

I dreamed of someone who could play with me.

Then in came my sister,

Brown hair flying,

My heart leapt at the sight of her,

She tossed me a toy and sat down next to me,

Suddenly, those long hours and days,

Became my most treasured things.

I began to weep, my tears mixed with snow
While father's laughter echoed pure and clear
My mother and her iPhone caught the show
Preserving memories we hold so dear

I was dreaming such a wonderful dream

When all of a sudden my neighbour screamed

He started crying and spoke unclear words

The neighbourʼs cries and screams were off and on

He was all alone in his hotel room

But all i thought was he disturbed my sleep

All i felt was annoyance and anger

a mumble through the trees
embraces leaves with tender,

loving touch
While dappled shadows sway in perfect ease
Creating patterns soft

a gentle clutch

That afternoon room with golden hue,

I was all hers as we sat silently,

Her hands weaved through my hair locks, such gentleness,

Her fingers danced, like whispers in the breeze,

As sunlight splashed across the wooden floor,

Our silhouettes laughed, bathed in its glow,

Comforts ied between, love travelled beyond

I visited family in Beijing,

The coldness made us look forward to spring,

We built a snowman in the freezing snow,

The sun fell as the town began to glow.

Joyful bells of Christmas started to ring.

We heard cheerful carols, we love to sing,

The Winter ended, and we had to go.

A cherished legend, partly known, unfolds.

A story kept within our family alone,

Where truth and fiction blend, unknown.

Once, in a cozy home along the mountains,

Lived ancestors who faced trials and challenges.

A wise elder, weathered by life's demand,

Led with love, guiding our extended bands.

within the hour of cherished family times,

where love and laughter's echoes softly flow,

treasuring memories that come to mind.

In the cozy kitchen's warmth, in winter's haze,

together hand in hand we'd start to bake,

a symphony of scents would fill the space,

as memories of sweetness, we'd create.

With aprons tied, we'd measure and combine,

each ingredient a tale of love's delight,

the rhythm of our laughter so divine,

as we embraced the magic of the night.

Those memories in the kitchen, they shall last,

family memories we hold in the past.

Pointing quickly at the next missing piece,

She puts it into the spot and then sees,

That it fits into the puzzle just right.

Delighted we were, my cousins and I,

To spend free time with each other in peace,

But had absolutely no true release,

From frustration and challenges that night.

Me and my cousin, tempers intertwined.

An argument sparked with tensions on rise,

Words clashed like two swords, igniting demise.

Tensions mounted as emotions flared,

Into a brawl that we both have declared.

The clash was wild, fists flying through the air,

Leaving us bruised, but mostly in despair.

A family bonded, a treasure beyond compare.

Sharing treasured stories with each other,

Memories build with one and another.

The conversations flow like gentle streams,

Unveiling stories, hopes, and cherished dreams.

Each voice a note, harmonious and sweet,

A symphony of flavours on our plate.

I strode into the fragile silence of dawn.

Broken by his occasional yawn,

Or the sweet ditty of a sparrow,

As the winding paths grew narrow,

And I saw the yolk-orange sun rise,

It set a sparkle in his eyes.

From his scintillating gaze came warmth to the graveyard.

Three generations, linked through melodies sweet.

Grandmother's hands once danced with gentle grace

Mother's touch followed, a harmonious beat.

The keys of ivory, witnesses fo time,

Carry tales of love, joy, frustrated cries,

In music's embrace, memories entwined,

A legacy passed down, ne'er to demise.

From grandmother's tunes to mother's refrain,

Each note a chapter of our shared song,

In the echoes of chords, a timeless chain

Binding our hearts, where we all belong.

Three generations, one piano's tale,

In Shanghai's old house, our spirites prevail.

The golden rays painted the clouds and sky

it shines on the smile my parents give me 

melts my heart, warm my day with gentle grace

Suddenly the sky turns dark and dreadful

my stomach growl louder than the big storm

hideous flash piercing in mother’s eye

look at the tears of the sky, just like mine