Memory of the Li River, by Min Chaobin

From the July 2012 issue of First Things.

Sand and gravel lie still on the bed of the river.
Peaks like spear-points pierce the clouds on either shore.
Fishing rafts and a passenger boat move through the stream,
surprising reflections awake as from a dream.

Whence come these mountain songs, this laughing talk?
Surely this is Heaven in the world of man.
Swiftly a fish eagle dives to the riverbed;
an egret softly sings, turning her head.

First Things has poetry in each issue, often excellent stuff. You should consider subscribing.

The same issue has another poem called The Flimflam Theater. It wasn’t exactly to my taste until I reached the conclusion, which paid for all.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a work with the word ‘flimflam’ somewhere in it that wasn’t good.