Child of War. Poetry by Genny Lim. 2003. 78 pages. ISBN: 0-9709597-3-7. $10.00.

Dedicated to Danielle Mai Ting Jue
(May 16, 1982 - September 9, 2001)

Fireflies

I find it quite amazing how the people
who sometimes make the most impact on your life
are the ones who pass through briefly
They remind me of fireflies
Winking by teasing with their soft glowing bodies
you run after them to try and capture the light they give off
but before you know it the sun rises and
the glittering bugs have disappeared
The sad fact is you don’t realize the fireflies’ soft magical beauty
until they are gone
because you were too busy trying to capture them

--Journal entry by Danielle Jue

Cover Photos: Varanasi, India: The ancient city of Varanasi sits on the banks of the sacred Ganges. One dip in the sacred waters is said to purify all negative karma. The long row of ghats lead down to the river where pilgrims bathe at dawn in the “elixir of life.” Smoke rises constantly from the burning ghats where bodies are cremated.

Bamiyan, Afghanistan: The giant statue of Buddha sculpted in a sandstone cliff of the Hindu Kush was considered the most remarkable representation of the Buddha anywhere in the world. The statue stood at metres 53 (125 feet)—as high as a 10-story building. In March, 2001, the Taliban dynamited the statue because “all statues were false idols and contrary to their Islamic beliefs.”

Available from UH Press.

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