monkey – Clara Hsu

Year of the Monkey, 2016

The key is not the money
The key is in the monkey
360 degrees a somersault
It’s the ultimate glee

The key can’t be the monkey
For he’s an absentee
Roiling in the cosmic dust
Mischief’s devotee

The key must be in money
For money makes you free
All things can be bought and sold
This uncanny latchkey

Money’s in the monkey
Monkey’s in the money
The progeny of heaven and earth
Life’s consummate lessee

Intelligence is money
that monkey can guarantee
To survive the wild and not get mauled
Use well this precious money

Craftiness is monkey
Scheming for your honey
When money is fraught with peril and fraud
One sneeze, all gone with the monkey

Well this money and monkey
Neither is a peewee
Now they join hands and take us all
Hurtling down the scree

“Look what you have done,” The Pig said to the Monkey, “invited an uncombed and unwashed Kwan Yin.” They looked on as Kwan Yin approached, disheveled and barefooted, her robe haphazardly folded together. from Journey to the West

I read this classical Chinese novel as a child and this is one of the passages that has remained with me. Kwan Yin, the revered Goddess of Mercy appeared like an ordinary person hurrying to solve a crisis after being woken from sleep. She was sensual, soft with her hair down and her face freed of make-up. This moment was observed by the Pig and with that, animal, human and goddess all came down to the same level.

A friend and I talked about subtlety in writing, how it gives room to the readers to imagine for themselves. It is what I imagine that I remember.

Tag: monkey

Happy Chinese New Year of the Monkey

What We Imagine