my mother's maiden name 
  by Jennifer Crystal Fang-Chien


  she drew a couple  
       square and circle, side-by-side  
  in black Bic ballpoint; 
  underneath, smaller square and  
       circle.  

  pressing round and round  
       small circle  
  engraving the paper,  
  she said,  
       "zhe se you.

  you are Daughter,  
       high position;  
  can do anything you want  
  talk with friend, play  
       tennis, freedom."  

  above all
       she drew another 
  square and circle
  and in the generation of her circle, 
       five squares and three circles in all.

  tracing her circle, she said,  
       "here, I only  
  wife, daughter-in-law;  
  look at how many, among  
       eight shao hie."  

  she stabbed the extended diagram  
       with ballpoint.  
  "zhe se all CHIEN;  
  you and brother  
       both belong Chien."  

  she drew another circle and square  
       off to the side.  
  "wo shing FANG;  
  I don't have your blood.  
       but you: half Fang, half Chien."
       
  "but look."  
       she waved her pointer  
  at her circle, at her children.  
  "where go Fang?  
       may yo la."  
 
  she nodded knowingly  
       "is why today 
  still no woman equal to  
  man; she lost her 
       maiden name."


  (Mandarin) Chinese used in the poem: 
	
  zhe se - this is  
  shao hi - children
  wo shing - i am named
  may yo la - it's gone