Poetry Pause is the League of Canadian Poets’ daily poetry dispatch. Read “My Father’s Family Tree” by Anna Yin.

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incandescent

By Anna Yin

It all started from an ink spot,

my father took it as a sprouting bud.

Sucking on his pipe,

he drew his long narrative

on a piece of paper.

I can sense his smile,

as leaves spread their dense fragrance:

always his favourite,

now highlighted by a brush —

son: a high-ranking officer,

daughter: a respectable scholar,

(my father decorated each with details

like my mother’s Christmas tree),

then me, the would-be poet.

My father has never known poets,

and, to him, “would-be” is worse than rough bark.

(I can feel his pause)

then, a tinted soft orb beside me:

“engineer abroad” perfectly mirrored.

My father ensured his final touch

to free me from starving.

I roll up this glowing paper,

and place its warmth on my chest —

Someday at harvest,

out from the chrysalis of my heart,

I shall start a new scroll.

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Copyright © Anna Yin

Previously published From Inhaling the Silence (Mosaic Press, 2013).

Anna Yin was Mississauga’s Inaugural Poet Laureate (2015-17) with six poetry collections and four books of translations. Anna won 2005 Ted Plantos Memorial Award, two MARTYs, two USA scholarships and grants from OAC and CCA. Her works have appeared at Queen’s Quarterly, ARC Poetry, New York Times, China Daily, CBC Radio. She read on Parliament Hill, at Austin & Edmonton Poetry Festival etc. Her 11th book is Breaking into Blossom (Frontenac Press 2025)

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