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Charles Lee is an emeritus English professor in California who has published in a variety of genres such as short fiction, personal essays, translation, and poems. His works have appeared in Rigorous Literary Magazine, Central Coast Poetry Shows, Gravel Literary Magazine, Drunk Monkeys Literary/Film Magazine, Signatures – Anthology Translation Booklet, Poetry on Life by Wingless Dreamer Publish, etc. As a contemporary author, he presents to us three poems: “Signs of Aging” and “To My Mimi” as well as “Milk Sentiment.” Charles can be contacted at CharlesLee988@gmail.com.

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Signs of Aging

You know you’re aged
When you find yourself downstairs and wonder
Why you’re there
You scratch your head and shrug your shoulders
Grumbling as you storm up and down the house all over

You know you’re aged
When you solemnly swear to your caller
That you’ve searched the godforsaken phone everywhere
It is not on the table nor under the chair
But standing like the Status of Liberty you are pressing it on your ear

You know you’re aged
When your head sings songs from the good-old-days
Childhood stories are like a movie that clearly stays
Nonetheless what just happened yesterday
Disappears like a feather fading away with no trace

Oh!
How come your body is no longer jazzed up with musical notes
Why does your head want to rock n’ roll
But your feet move in slow-dance mode
What about your heart and soul
They linger on yesterday yet
You’re already here kissin’ tomorrow
Just wait
You don’t want to be a lost hope

Yet …
You know you’re aged
When you toss n’ turn like a flipped pancake on bed
Even double-dosing Melatonin and counting-sheep won’t help
You’d rattle your pellet-drum head
Before you doze off in front of your TV set

You know you’re aged
When you overhear some folks
Saying that a fella is a silly old joke
Spinning around like a teetotum you look for the dude
Only to find out you’re that pathetic puke

You know you’re aged
When you, a once-upon-a-time scratch golfer,
Toss your golden putter
And charge off the course after
Your seventy-two strokes at the front nine holes earlier

Oh!
How come your body is no longer jazzed up with musical notes
Why does your head want to rock n’ roll
But your feet move in slow-dance mode
What about your heart and soul
They linger on yesterday yet
You’re already here kissin’ tomorrow
Just wait
You don’t want to be a lost hope

Still …
You know you’re aged
When your pissing contest glory
Becomes a past tensed story
Leaking now and then between restrooms you feel sorry
That you always have to go in a hurry

You know you’re aged
When you have not one gray weed to be pulled
But an entire lawn of white hair that can’t be pruned
It’s not because your grandkids are rude
They are simply telling the truth

You know you’re aged
When you dare not to employ imperatives to address your children
You must figure out their holy will with caution
Your advice is stale and too long
Your heroic parental image dissolves into illusion

Oh!
How come your body is no longer jazzed up with musical notes
Why does your head want to rock n’ roll
But your feet move in slow-dance mode
What about your heart and soul
They linger on yesterday yet
Here you are already kissin’ tomorrow
Just wait
You don’t want to be a lost hope

So …
Even though you’re aged
Don’t pop your balloon with a period
Not even an exclamation mark would cut it
Never entitle yourself as a curmudgeon or termagant
Rather, bounce your life tenaciously to let it ellipse

To My Mimi

I held your hand
When you were born an angel
A gift from God to cheer up our land
With warm sunshine and dearest hope
The only uh-oh was that
Your brother would have not another boy but a sister to wrestle

I held your hand
When you were little
Not only did I become your loyal fan
But on my palm, you were my precious peal
We built castles on Hawaii beach sand
I went bananas as you starred in Mulan show

I held your hand
When you endeavored something new
High up there on the stage you would stand
To receive your kindergarten graduation certificate – a super great deal
Like a girl Monkey King you flipped in midair with pompoms in your hands
What a bold cheer leader, cool jazz dancer, and fun host at your piano rehearsal

I held your hand
When you accomplished your goals
You never stopped impressing your old man
Whether in Nesbit, Sandpiper, Ralston, Carlmont, Berkeley or Duke
Your presence helped make the schools shine, agreed by your little brat
And witnessed by friends like Stephanie, Elaine, and Kiko

I held your hand
When you were well known to all
Take volleyball for example, you wore different hats
Whatever position, libero, setter, or head coach, you chose
You made us glad
To be your proud parents, friends, aunts and uncles

I held your hand
When you became more and more successful
For whichever departments you ran
As a manager, a global director or in any leadership roles
At Safeway or Amazon or Coco Cola, you rocked your world not by chance
But by your ability to lead and love, a talent as valuable as gold

I held your hand
When you tuned winter rain in Seattle poetic and musical
Made Atlanta summer waive its warm welcoming hand
Spread brilliant autumn colors over golden Morgan Hill
Fremont-expressed delicious spring breeze to your pals and clan
And added four seasons of sugar to our coffee at home

Now I’m giving your hands
to Vincent, the luckiest guy in the world
Knowing that he will love you as much as your dad
No matter how much older you will grow
And how many years will pass and bigger titles you’ll have
You are still and always will be my Mimi, daddy’s little girl!

Milk Sentiment

Look at you in this photo
A baby of one-year old
Examining a milk bottle
Not exactly smiling
But frowning a grumpy refusal

We feed you milk, for you need it
The whole flock of older folks persuades you to drink it
But you shake your head like a pendulum
And your tongue forms a second line of defense
Pushing behind the closed lips

Come on, baby, we negotiate:
Drink milk – it’s good for you
No, you turned away
when you were a few months old
Drink milk – it makes you stronger
No, you brushed it away
when you were a year old
Drink milk – it makes you smarter
No, you pushed it away
when you were a year and half old

Now you’re two years old
Milk to you is more like bitter cough pills
To cajole you into taking the essential food supplement
Open-sesame spells for your mouth are invented:

Please drink for GuGu, your aunt
To her from afar, Cheers! You devour it down
And drink for mommy, of whom you’re fond
With a thankful heart, a mouthful is joyfully gone
Also drink for Baba, daddy the dearest
As his girl, you adorably gasp on
Remember to drink for NaiNai, the kind grandma
Up the spirit, here you go, “Voila!”
Not the least, drink for me – YeYe,
Your silliest best friend grandpa
For love, you naughtily take the last sip
Honoring our old friendship
Hurrah! Haha, mission accomplished!

Look at you in this new photo
A big girl of two-year old
Hugging your favorite milk bottle
Chirping, gurgling, sprinkling …
Way to go!

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