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By Ha Jin

Once I have the freedom to say
my tongue will lose its power.
Since my poems strive to break the walls
that cut off people’s voices,
they become drills and hammers.
 
But I will be silenced.
The starred tie around my neck
at any moment can tighten into a cobra.
 
How can I speak about coffee and flowers?
 


Ha Jin, "Because I Will be Silenced" from Between Silences.  Copyright © 1990 by Ha Jin.  Reprinted by permission of The University of Chicago Press.

Source: Between Silences (The University of Chicago Press, 1990)

  • Arts & Sciences
  • Social Commentaries

Poet Bio

Ha Jin
Ha Jin, born in Liaoning Province, China, grew up during the Cultural Revolution when schools were closed and books were burned. While serving in the army, Jin educated himself and studied English and literature when the schools opened in the 1980s. He came to the United States to earn his doctorate from Brandeis University, and decided to remain in this country after the massacre of students at Tiananmen Square. Jin writes solely in English, focusing mostly on Chinese culture. See More By This Poet

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