“Triple Sonnet for Infinite Eight”: An Editor’s Note by Dorothy Chan
Triple Sonnet for Infinite Eight: An Editor’s Note by Dorothy Chan
At dim sum, po po used to order eight
Dishes, because Chinese superstitions
Exist in every realm, in every action
There is a reaction. Roll call: har gow;
Ham Seui Gok; fèngzhuǎ; nǎihuáng bāo;
Shu mai; tofu skin rolls; black sesame
Rolls; Chrysanthemum jelly. I miss those
Kowloon mornings. I’ve written enough
Poems about my parents meeting in Hong
Kong. I’ve written enough poems about
Their fourteen-year age gap. How it defines
My poetry infinitely—There’s a sonnet.
“Let’s go eat” is the superior way of saying
“I love you.” Roll call. Preamble over.
It’s August. Chinese culture teaches me
To choose eight for important events.
The Hive (blame me) could’ve timed this
Better, but 8/18 was a Sunday. Maybe
A little asymmetry creates more beauty,
A little slant rhyme in your sonnet; more
Importantly, flip the eight upside down,
Achieving infinity: luck and wealth and
Prosperity and “The spring wind comes
Your way.” Not the bouquet but the whole
Damn field. What does it mean to actually
Thrive? I keep wondering—wanting, even
Protecting, in this world. I’m penning this
Triple for you, Hive, because the goal is
Thriving. Infinity, as in lean more on
Community. Every time an issue drops,
I call Christina, and we’re like two little
Kids on Christmas morning. I love you
And our little tradition. Can I bring a little
More joy into this world. I’ll give you
Honey to clear your throat. At dim sum,
When I was eight, my father lied to the
Server, saying it was my birthday, just so
I could eat Longevity Peach Buns, also
Known as Peaches of Immortality: lotus
Or red bean paste I could chew forever.
Forever, they say. In a specially curated
Order, I present to you: infinity ∞—
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About Dorothy Chan
Dorothy Chan (she/they) is the author of five poetry collections, including Return of the Chinese Femme (Deep Vellum, April 2024); BABE (Diode Editions, 2021), a 2022 finalist for the Sheila Margaret Motton Book Prize from the New England Poetry Club; and Revenge of the Asian Woman (Diode Editions, 2019), a finalist for the Theodore Roethke Memorial Poetry Prize and the Lambda Literary Award in Bisexual Poetry. They are an Associate Professor of English at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and Co-Founder and Editor in Chief of Honey Literary Inc., a 501(c)(3) BIPOC literary arts organization. Chan was a 2022 recipient of the University of Wisconsin System’s Dr. P.B. Poorman Award for Outstanding Achievement on Behalf of LGBTQ+ People. This past summer, they were a Visitor at Sewanee Writers’ Conference. Chan’s work has appeared or is forthcoming in The American Poetry Review, The Academy of American Poets’ Poem-a-Day, Poetry Society of America, Literary Hub, and elsewhere. Visit their website at dorothypoetry.com.
Headshot Credit: Joshua David Watson
