issue1 copy — BeyondMargins

Selected poems of Hong Xing

Tomorrow’s Flowers are
Complicated

Someone is stirring the seawater.
Bubbles levitate and fracture,
The wild, astute man spends his day
Earning permission from a cat.
Finally, they can indulge in the flowers.

May we sit down
and rethink our misconceptions of summer:
Is the coolness within the shades
A gift or coincidence?

Because tomorrow's flowers are complicated.
The wait of homage is understandable,
when they force each other more and more,
“Here, finish this plate all in one go.”

Our surroundings exchange peace,
Piecing together the segments of better times.
Under beams of the sun,
Everything radiates.

Unknowing of when,
People have grown to yearn for the sculpting of time.
The past and future silence the unspoken confusion.
Thus,
Tomorrow's flowers
are complicated.

A Finite Sea

A detached manifestation forebodes life’s understanding of its end.
People put together, then take apart,
assemble simpler things, abandon dilemmas,
but assumptions won’t arrive.

The air, trembling at its last breath;
the vase and water share a last kiss, a final embrace,
fuse yesterday and the past into memory.
Manbegins to appreciate the tides.

That which is used as point of view is exploited incessantly.
In hesitation, what has been buried is dug up anew.
Some sentences are uttered,
some pasts forgotten.

That which is mentioned repeatedly becomes arms.
Delusion sustains the seagull’s flight
and will someday merit anticipation.
Indeed, man desires the pleasure of being devoured.

Why is there such charm in quiet breathing?
Same as the footsteps on the beach.
The argument and the answer
never arrive in tandem.

The street poet

issue 002
@Hong Xing

what are we talking about when we talk about poems?

“
there is a sentence in the poem "but, my eyes are swollen, have never seen the sun." Can you explain the symbol in this poem?
”

·
·
·

“just the literal meaning, I drink too
much and cannot fall sleep.”

Our featured poet today goes by the pen name “Red Apricot,” He has been engaged in poetry writing for over seventeen years, and tries to let people feel his poems by multiple artistic and sensory methods.

Like most literary fanatics, Red Apricot's fondness for words began with various traditional literary classics he read during childhood. However, he discovered his talent for poetry due to the guidance of an exceptional Chinese language teacher in middle school.

"I was a little prodigy at writing essays," he proudly mentioned during his interview.

His teacher supported him in crafting imaginative works without constraints.

For a poet who holds peculiar and unconventional ideas, assigned essays at school provided a starting point for his words to sprout, but they were not a fertile ground that could nurture creativity.

The academic essays he wrote were like a dance in shackles, a tango performed with great effort trying to bridge between traditional themes and his own imagination. As he entered high school, where the focus on exam-oriented writing intensified, Red Apricot's situation evolved into one where his essays “were either zero or sixty points. If it's unconventional, the teacher won't even grade it, but if it is well-written, it could become an exemplar for the whole grade." Probably, the purpose of debate isn't to establish truth,and similarly, the purpose of exam-oriented writing is also not for free expression.

"I just found it quite dull," Red Apricot remarked about school writing. As the realm of essay writing left him perplexed, he came across an article in a magazine written by a high school student. The article was filled with imaginative colors and revolved around a male poet. For the first time beyond traditional poets like Tagore and Shakespeare, he encountered the name of a modern poet: Haizi.

That was the moment, his second year of high school, when he realized that poetry could be written like this. Starting from that year, Red Apricot embarked on his journey of composing poetry, a path he continues to tread.

"I just found it quite dull,"

For the first time beyond traditional poets like Tagore and Shakespeare, he encountered the name of a modern poet: Haizi.

Haizi

Red Apricot is an introspective poet, to say the very least. His writing emerges from his external life, then moves internally as objective thoughts. When Red Apricot writes poetry, he remains mostly composed. You could almost think that he is dissecting his own emotions as an outsider. Amidst the accumulation of a long life, unconsciousness, abstract images, and sensations overlap in his mind and find their place as words on paper.

Red Apricot mentions that he has never considered feedback from readers when he writes poetry. He doesn't feel the need to explain complex and obscure imagery, but rather truthfully portrays the sensory perceptions of his spirit when facing the world. Consequently, he has never contemplated publishing a poetry anthology because he doesn't believe that the feelings he experiences while writing can resonate with readers solely through the mere act of reading words.

Instead, he values the immediate emotional connection between the reader and the author, considering this a crucial element within poetry. To achieve this effect, he has adopted an unconventional approach– making poetry into interactive experiences. He merges poetry with experimental music and tactile performances, aiming to create a shared space where the emotions within the poems can connect more directly with the audience and blend with sensory experiences.

Red Apricot's first attempt to involve people in his poetry was at a square in Zhengzhou in the year 2018. He had always believed that due to the irreplaceable literary status of poetry in China's extensive history, there would be a primal memory and interest in poetry within the hearts of the masses. With this belief, he stepped onto the street with empty hands, approaching passersby with a sincere question.

"Would you be willing to let me read you a poem?"

On that day, Red Apricot approached one hundred pedestrians, only to be met with rejection every single time. When he faced the last rejection, he walked to the side of the street and knelt down, uncontrollably breaking down. "It felt like kicking a steel plate with all your might," he said with a bitter smile during his interview.

After that experience, Red Apricot became determined to “bring poetry back to the masses”. Poetry was originally born as a form of entertainment and pure expression of the soul. "Poetry expresses one's aspirations; song conveys its sound; dance displays its form. These three originate from the heart." Whether it’s in the East or West, poetry has historically been a resonant form of expression.

"So why is it that in the present world, the entertainment aspect of poetry has been removed, turning it into something enigmatic and profound?" Red Apricot felt puzzled and even a bit of inexplicable anger.

"I'm not trying to do something for the audience or readers. It's about what I want to do for poetry itself. Maybe that sounds a bit self-centered, because perhaps poetry doesn't need me to do anything for it; poetry is poetry. But this is my goal."

Red Apricot was thus determined to “bring poetry back to the people.” Over the years, he worked to combine visual scenes, music, and the rhythm of words to create an immersive and interactive atmosphere he wants people to experience. In his "Sound Altar" project, he and his two friends– a drummer and bass guitarist— freely control the music to match the rhythm of the poetry he was presenting. Audience members hold strings that are connected to Hongxing's body. As they pull and interact with the strings, small pendants on the strings emit gentle sounds, causing Hongxing to sway along with them. Through the interplay of music, poetry, and tactile sensation, a unique closed loop of connection is formed among Hongxing, the musicians, and the audience.

Hongxing has never worried that traditional poetry readers might view his performances as mere "gimmicks" or attempts to pander to the crowd with flashy forms. He believes, "When poetry is already quite deserted in this land, where are the young poets? At least these attractions can give poetry a chance to reach the people and the youth." He strongly resists the notion that poetry or reading poetry collections is overly elitist. He's also averse to poetry readers portraying themselves as being special, as this can distance poetry from the mainstream and eventually lead to its oblivion.

Hongxing's aim is to show that poetry can also be a form of "consumable" and "enjoyable" art, much like concerts and exhibitions. If consumerism is one of the most influential factors of the 21st century, why shouldn't poetry also become a part of it? In his "Poetry Supermarket" project, you can even "purchase" poetry as souvenirs.

"I don't understand much of the logic of this society, and I'm unsure of what else I can do besides literature. Poetry is one of the few things I can do," Hongxing said.

Contacts: Email, Wechat

@BeyondMargins 2025