Elementary Chinese
By Eileen Chong
Published 1 January 2021
Fire hung on a nail makes a lamp,
two moons make a friend.
A thing that is not bark makes a glass,
two trees, a wood; three trees, a forest.
Ten mouths make a leaf,
a ladybird is a worm that floats.
A woman with a horse is a mother,
a bird wearing armour is a duck.
A fish needs three drops of water.
The sea: a mother wearing a hat
by the waves.
Thought is composed of strength
from a tree, clear sight, and anchored
by a heart.