swifts  &  s l o w s · a quarterly of crisscrossings

faded lines of history
Yuan Changming

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Transcending

As I try to relate to the traditional Chinese
Painting hung above my desk, I find
Neither perspective (allowing me to see
The depth of the scene), nor chiaroscuro
(That can give me a sense of multi-
Dimensions via light vs shadow), except
Lines drawn with a wolf-haired brush pen
& ink made of pine charcoal, between Yin
& Yang, between Sky and Earth, lines Thick
& Thin, between the faded lines of history
Starting from a whim leading to eternality
I wonder if this is how our mind works, the
Tendency to swing between two extremes
Between Black & White, between the Painting
& Blank, both originating from the same Way

East vs West: a Synoptic Cultural Comparison (2)   

1/Philosophy/Ancients

Greek philosophers focused on the relationship
Between man & nature as they walked & debated
While Chinese thinkers were concerned mainly
About how a human being got along with another

2/Language/Inflections

English pays much heed to the formal features of
Verbs/actions, besides its distinction between sex
Cases & numbers of pronouns, while Chinese has
Always remained fixed within its square shape

3/Painting/Traditions

Western painting depends on a single perspective
As much as chiaroscuro to achieve verisimilitude
While Chinese painting is an artistic expression of
Impressions that never have to imitate the reality

Footnote
Westerners keep sharpening their tools to attain
Happiness (through science, or by using power)
While Chinese try to stay with it like a Daoist

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Yuan Changming edits Poetry Pacific with Allen Yuan. Credits include 15 chapbooks, 12 Pushcart nominations for poetry and 2 for fiction  besides appearances in Best of the Best Canadian Poetry (2008-17), Best New Poems Online and 2079 other publications across 51 countries. Yuan began writing and publishing fiction in 2022.