Beginning

Sijun Cui

I do not wish to know
the face of heaven at its first breath—
only the smile you left in the rain,
faint as mist,
graceful as the pause between two heartbeats. 

The old embrace still holds a trace of warmth,
and our love begins
on that quiet path at the close of spring. 

The first word
was not ours,
but a bird
singing on a trembling branch—
a note that lingered
in the mirror of the lake,
in the hush of gold
poured over the evening shore. 

I do not blame fate
for arriving too soon
or leaving too fast.
Only in loss
does the heart learn the shape
of what truly stays. 

The start of time
is of no great concern—
beauty, at its height,
may live for just a glimpse.
Flowers come and go in sacred cycles;
why wrestle on the edge
of beginning or farewell?

The pen uncaps,
the page turns,
and a poem begins—
not for greatness,
but for truth.

A new love,
a braver self,
a hand reaching quietly toward the sun,
grows old with the days—
tenderly,
without regret.

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Sijun Cui
As a poet, Sijun Cui has been an active presence online for many years, creating an extensive body of poetry and essays on diverse subjects. He has conducted in-depth research in poetry, fiction, and scriptwriting. Passionate about reading, critical thinking, and writing, his interests span a wide range of disciplines, particularly philosophy, science, religion, history, and sociology.