on the last day of the year
he spent the whole day with his father
hard at work in the fields
for this reason he can still see in his mind’s eye
the sun setting for good on the Year of the Snake
as he walked home
when they got back
his mother served up
hot dumplings
after eating them he went to bed
because the following day
he had to go and work in the fields again with his father
he had no choice
because the money needed to pay his tuition fees each year
could (and could only)
be dug up out of the ground

a university student
from a village
explained to us how he spent the New Year
in class, as an exercise in oral presentation
in the five minutes it took for his talk
his account went smoothly
his tone of voice was deadpan
it was only when he mentioned
the word “dumpling”
that his face betrayed a hint of a smile