In December 2022, Pancouver introduced readers to Cathy Xinman, a B.C. resident who writes poems in English and Chinese. Xinman is also a screenwriter who was honoured with a golden statuette at the San Francisco International New Concept Film Festival in 2023. In addition, she received the Remi Bronze Award for Dramatic Film Screenplay at the Houston International Film Festival in 2024. Below, you can read an English-language poem that she wrote in advance of Valentine’s Day.
I Will Always Love You
The waves live in summer,
Like a trap,
We place ourselves on the hottest wave,
Your sweat beads fly to the corner of my eyes.
The mountain fires in the sky also come to watch the spectacle.
The waves stir the sails,
And send us to the deepest ocean.
In front of the vast waters
Chu and Han rivalry fades away.
Even though I have
A thousand reasons not to love you
I still want to go home,
Row the boat with you back home.
Cathy Xinman’s English-language collection is entitled Where You Love Yourself. Find it on Amazon. Follow Pancouver on Instagram @PancouverMedia and on Bluesky @pancouver.
