Two Poems
by Yucheng Tao
The Blooming Fruits
Under pale clouds,
the vultures whirl in the night breeze.
The lake reflects
blooming mushrooms —
but they seek redder fruits.
Liquids rich as saltwater,
with the taste of blood,
ignite their feasting passion.
Their lightning-black wings
fall upon the earth.
The vultures perch on human bones,
unmoved by the shape of skulls —
drawn only to the warmth of decay.
In towers of skulls,
other predators dine
in tailored grace,
their appetites no less ancient.
They are dressed in suits,
they cultivate power —
a fruit born of darkness.
Portland
Today, in the silence
before the restaurant opens,
I arrive early,
trying to get into the lobby.
This is the place where time
is a shattered mirror,
reflecting her once
in the arms of a golden-haired phantom.
But now, in this hall,
only windows looking out
to where we might sit later.
I have something to forget.
Maybe nothing is true.
Maybe— this is the last dinner.
The light I desire in my heart
is perhaps lost
in the chill of her indifference,
slipping through the restaurant’s door.
Steam rises to fend off winter,
like a dormant volcano stirring,
waiting for roses
to bloom in heat.
At that moment,
she arrives, unhurried,
and whispers softly behind me.
I will pay the bill.
On this misty day,
she still brings me
no light in Portland.
Tonight, my heart,
heavy as a dead volcano,
erupts with dream-fire—
and I lie on a bed of roses,
kissing death,
silent as the winter.
Yucheng Tao is a Chinese international student based in Los Angeles, where he studies songwriting. His work and has appeared in Wild Court(UK),The Lake(UK),Red Ogre Review (UK), Cathexis Northwest Press, and NonBinary Review, where he was also interviewed. He was named a semifinalist for the Winds of Asia Award by Kinsman Quarterly. His work has been featured in over twenty journals, including Apocalypse Confidential, The Arcanist, Waymark Literary Magazine, The Mixtape Review, Ink Nest and more.