Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Essays i submitted in 2010 as materials for our school's first magazine

 Unforgettable Eyes
In a summer afternoon, my family and i were traveling in our car along the elevated road. When we were about to reach the new village, I saw a figure moving suddenly. I saw a dog lying on the road, it seemed to have broken its hind leg. It tried hard to move its body, but still it couldn't.
Dad slackened the speed. I saw its eyes filled with despair. It lay there in the direction of the oncoming traffic. Then dad had already accelerated the car. I looked at its little back looming amid big wheels.
It could have stayed home, it could have been nestling at its mother's side, but it got to such a perilous place, why?
On the road to school, usually dead body of a dog or cat runned over by wheels are rather common occurance, i rarely felt depressed by it. But this time was different, i saw the eyes of a little life.Under the scorching sun, i saw the eyes of despair and hope. Since that afternoon, the eyes had been appearing in my consciousness, they conveyed an infinite things, though it was just one look.
Days afterward, i'd been blaming myself for i didn't do something to help move that dog to a safer place.
I think it should've had left this world, but its eyes are always in my memory, in my brain. It affected my emotion in a way more than all the words on this page could explain.


Praise Defoliation
Long grassland, warblers flying; lonely smoke of desert, long river and sunset is beautiful; then, falling leaves are a killjoy, right? No. Think, who is it, demonstrating the miracles of life with a dance, presenting the struggles of life in silence? It's falling leaves, wafting into the air from the wretched vale, it's life has forged a beauteous melodious dance. Flurries of autumn wind, flakes of falling leaves, evoke the memories of my time in upper elementary school.
At the time, i was passive and depressed by a sense of inferiority. I wept almost everyday. The last thread of dry hot summer wind, roasting my heart which couldn't stand the torture. Days after day, i went through muddle-headedly. In the early autumn, i faced the unsatisfactory midterm exam results, an exam with a certain magnitude, the concomitant criticisms by everyone "Look, this is the good student from the first class" "It's really like an ant trying to challenge an elephant, i call it presumptuous" "he's brought discredit on our class". My tears fell involuntarily, flowing into my mouth, into my heart, bitter and sour. My immature heart became more vulnerable.
Inadvertantly, i saw a fallen leaf on the pavement, that's a sheer scorched leaf, yellow and aliform. Some people think it's a dreary life, but somehow it seemed there was no sorrow in that golden leaf, because it knew how to nurture itself in the autumn wind. When the wind blew, it danced its life heartily, showing glory. There i wiped my tears away, because i was well aware that the frustration is the manifestation of yielding to difficulty, all the frustration should be removed.
Just then, a teacher came to my side, "May i join you?". She seemed to see what i was thinking, she said to me in earnest "Learning is like the leaves falling, spreading their wings and fly, to get good results, all you have to do is make endeavor. Good luck, i have faith in you!". I saw hope.
I swore i wanted to be a person with the spirit of the falling leaves, dancing in the face of adversity. Eventually, i faced the final exam with renewed vigor, as i saw the papers dispensed to me, none of the questions got me stumbled, it went exceptionally smooth. The time the teacher collected the papers, i could barely believe it, the exam was ended so easily. Out of the exam room, i again walked on the pavement, fallen leaves at my feet, felicity wafted in my heart.
I gained a third in my class, it was a miracle led to me by the falling leaves on my learning journey. Falling leaves led me out of the solitude, gave me wonderful encouragement on that stage in life, i thank you.


A donkey's attitude to life
A donkey fell into the deep deep pit of wastes. His cruel owner thought it was a waste of time and energy to save him, and went away leaving him alone. Everyday people discarded trash into the pit, the donkey was exasperated. He thought about doing something stupid, like to end his life, but he said no. Everyday there were trash thrown around him. One day, a change occured in his mind, he decided to change his attitude toward life. He stepped on every trash dropped, and found some leftovers to maintain his strength. Then finally, the day had arrived, he returned onto the ground!
Do not complain about the adversity you encounter, do not complain that your man is poor or your woman is not pretty. Do not complain you dont have a good dad, your job is ghastly. Do not complain that no one appreciates the tour de force you possess.
The world only cares about whether or not you have reached a certain level, not about how you reach it. Whether you ascend by stepping onto the giant's shoulder, or by stepping on the trash. In fact, people who step on the trash to reach there are more worthy of admiration and respect. Whatever makes you sad, treat it like trash under yokur soles, let it be your stepping stone to success, in life.

A snail's attitude toward life
A little snail asks his mom"Why should we bear this heavy shell since we were born?" "Because we dont have bones to support our body, so we need the shell as protection"
"But sister caterpillar has no bones either, why doesnt she need to bear this hard shell?" "Because sister caterpillar can turn into a butterfly and the sky will protect her, my dear" "Brother worm has no bones either, and he won't into a butterfly, why doesnt he need to carry this heavy shell?"
"Because brother worm lives in soil, the earth will protect him"
The litle snail cries"How unlucky we are. Neither the sky nor the earth will protect us"
His mom consoles him"that's why we have shell, we dont depend on the sky or the earth, we depend on ourselves, honey"

Charm of Tea

Nightfall, glistening moonlight sprinkled on the desk. Power cut again, i lit up a candle at the table. The candlelight was flickering, the diverse and confusing world seemed to become lighter, thinner than water, thinner than mist, than smoke, than dream. Looking at the chemical equations on the exercise book, my mind went blank. Upper and lower eyelids began to fight. I walked out of the house, into the yard.
Breeze ceased, several chirping of birds came from the tree. Stars in the deep blue sky above were beautiful, flashing freely. Back in the house, i found the previously cluttered desk has been tidied up, and at a corner, placed a hot cup of tea. Wisps of refreshing fragrance, permeating quietly. It must have been mom, who had quietly brought me beverages many times.Tea leaves swaying in water, i sipped gently, faint fragrance dispersed in my mouth, mellow and pleasant.
Suddenly, a flow of warmth surged up within my heart. On my elementary school journey, mom had always been silently by my side. When i was tired, she brewed me a cup of tea, to alleviate the fatigue; when i felt at sea, she gave me confidence and courage.
A mother's love is like a cup of tea. Faint scent of tea always revived me when i was weary. Unlike full-bodied coffee, the taste of tea can be diluted when it's too heavy; unlike tasteless water either, even when the tea gets cold, the taste is still unaffected. So is motherly love.
Pale moonbeams shining, charm of tea pervading, my heart felt a wave of warmth, a feeling as if being amidst springtime.

Wisteria frame
Setting sun, sinking behind the mountain range willy-nilly. School van hadn't arrived yet, we were still next to the school field waiting. I don't know how many times i had pried into people's business, walked past classrooms, and walked to this wisteria trellis. There's a little brightness left in the sky above, my heart became more and more restless.
I walked past the trellis beneath the streetlight, it appeared to be more beautiful than ever.
Light from a classroom reflected on the marble floor, like a layer of milk poured on it, so bright and smooth.
Long lush wisterika on the trellis, formed a green shed. Though it didn't flower, but it had extraordinary effect. A gust of wind blew past, little gaps in the foliage revealed beams of slender light.
Treadding on that flat and familiar path, listening to the exiguous words of insects, looking at my own shadow, a feeling momentarily surged in my heart, a feeling so quiet and peaceful.
Then they called me, and made me realize that i'd been standing there for a few minutes.

Heavenly sounds
Boundless universe, with gossiping birds, blossoming flowers. The moment we are enjoying the varieties of nature, we are also receiving the baptism of natural sounds.
On a spring morning, the first shaft of sunlight warms the heart. Two or three thrushes awaken the ears. Fresh flowers giving snow a send-off, zephyr awakening frogs in the field. Beautiful tints and sounds fill the chest with billows of passion.
Autumn breeze soothes the lost maple leaves, rustling sound is more than beautiful. Harvest hymns seeps through the golden dew on the twigs, more than beautiful. Autumn wind sweeps a long trail, zips and swings past like a fluttering ribbon, more than beautiful.
In the bleak winter night, a stack of wind-borne greetings from faraway friends warm the heart, more than beautiful.
Perhaps you wanna take a walk, top feel the vast voice of the countryside and valley, the flowing streams, the whisper of the mysterious forest. Open your heart and ears, a kind of heavenl sound will come to you.
On a congested street of jostlikng throngs, a wordl like "careful!" is more than beautiful. On a crowded bus, someone says courteously "you go first"; a friend gives you a can of beverage during lunch break, these are also heavenly sounds.
A word or two, as long as it comes from the heart, a sincere voice, are all heavenly sounds.They collide with the soul, to form love.


A little girl stands in front of a store looking in. There's a pair of mauve shoes that she likes inside. Tomorrow is her birthday, and she really wants to wear that pair of shoes. It's getting dark, the girl capers her way home. She tells her mother about it and she hopes her mother can buy them as birthday gift for her.
Her mother is baffled, because there's not much money left at home. The girl holds her mother tight and keeps whining. Her mother returns to her bedroom anxious. She sits on the bed, something shiny flows out of her eyes. It is midnight and her mother hasn't slept a wink.
Next morning, the mother tells the girl with a smile that she's promised to buy the shoes for her. The girl cheers. They go to the store, the girl leads her mother to that pair of mauve shoes. "Mom, here they are, aren't they beautiful?" "Hmm. Really beautiful." The mother takes at look at the price, she is stunned. It's 50 bucks. "Mom, buy them for me please." The girl holds her mother's hand.The mother turns around and looks at the price again, then looks at the girl, she's made up her mind "OK, then". After some bargaining, the mother buys the shoes at 40 bucks.
Back at the house, the girl jumps into the shoes, and looks into the mirror. Everyday afterward, the girl wears the shoes happily. One day, when the girl gets back from school, her mother sits at the table, and she goes to give her a hug. Her mother smile and fondles her scarlet cheeks.
Suddenly, the girl notices something, she begins to weep----the wedding ring on her mother's finger has disappeared.


Anna lost her mother when she was little, it was her father who brought her up. More distressingly, this is a pretty girl suffering from congenital heart disease and she's spent her life abed for 17 years.
Anna has been admitted into a hospital for nine months now, but her condition still has not improved. On her 18th birthday, she and her father should have spent the day joyfully but her health condition deteriorates suddenly.
Before going into the operating room again, there is a gale outside the window, subsequently rain falls in torrents. Anna cannot bear the pain anymore, she made a plea to her father to let her be euthanized. After hearing this, the father is in tears. After much persuasion, the father finally acquisced, but he hopes that Anna could give him a little time, specifically, he hopes that Anna does not go the final vine outside the window falls off.
Anna looks out the ward, the vines amid the thunder storm were sparce and countable. Thus Anna had no reason to disagree. Thereupon, she iks pushed into the operating room once again. In spite of the agony the operation has brought to her, she is still grinding her teeth, enduring with great persistence----she can't break the promise.
The operation was fairly smooth, the doctor says the disease which has tortured her for 18 years will be conquered. After 12 hours, when Anna wakes up afresh, the sunlight of the evening slanted on the windowsill. She doesn't see her father, but she can see luxuriant vine leaves waving joyfully outside.
Anna doesn't know that after she entered the operating room, her elderly father in worrying  that the vine leaves would all drop, bought an artificial vine full of leaves and twined it on top of the real one.


Life tends to think of ways to get your attention. On the road leading to the classroom, theres a tree full of green hair. I didn't know the name, it had green leaves which seemed to be the common characteristic of all trees. What i knew was the leaves were messier and thinner. Of course, i didn't pay special attention to it, but i was amazed by its branches which probed into classrooms. Brushed past it one time and looked up, leaves were laughing, teasing me with the rustling sound. Having put on the voile clothes of sunlight, the mottled pattern was looming, mysterious eyes got me mesmerized. What is that tree. I asked a friend, he smiled, "why dont we go ask our teacher?". I asked a teacher, he smiled and said that the answer was in the traces of the birds gliding above, in the dreamland of the wandering fish. I didn't get it.
Til one day, i stared at it with my eyes filled with greeness, its branches had included my shadow, the world instantly became debris. Let's just call it gargantuan tree.
The season of maple leaves had alighted in town, a threadlike aroma amid chilliness. I could find golden flecks interspersing its big green hair occasionally, irregularly. What are those? At a closer look, ah those are unripe persimmons. Pairs of sparkling eyes stayed in the shuttling uneven flow of people.
Later, the school hung a info-plate to it. Gazes resting on the gargantuan tree became more and more. People were fond of it, and hung lanterns on it.
Persimmon tree, you're so smart. People didn't know you but you are able to grow fruits, and introduce yourself, confidently.
Sound of chilly wind made me feel scared, footsteps of exam were like the wailing of demons. One day the weather was fairly tepid, i tried to relax. Heading the direction of the ruddy sun, enjoying the nature. Then a flake of leaf dropped on my shoulder, almost forgot, i almost forgot to look a the persimmon tree. Most of the leaves had gone to another world, fruits were still hanging like gold. In a blink of the eye, another green wing dropped.

















No comments:

Post a Comment