Modern Sonnet 206. Shau Kei Wan, 1996. First Months in Hong Kong, by Andrew Barker. 

Really clear a kindness repaid. It says quite a lot about someone, the friends they keep in touch with over the long term.

Youth - wasted on the young, Andy,as someone once said. I vaguely remember this version of you 😬😂

Having experienced a low point in his life, he started reminiscing about the good old days in his homeland, where he could have Big Mac meals and wear clean clothes. Now, he did not have his own personal living space, and all he had was "a room with one door he could close," so he had to create a makeshift "multifunctional cabinet" using his backpack to store food, clothes, and all his personal belongings. The use of imagery to portray a difficult life deepens his feelings of having no choice in life and resonates with readers who have shared the same low lifestyle as him. Life was challenging for this young man. To ease the ambiance of despondency, the persona shifts from low emotions to a more positive one by using the word "rise," indicating that he was not always alone, and he had the company, quite a lot of it, but Man Yee's support was the most impressive and memorable one he cherishes. He even gives a very affirmative yes to her support back then - "The one who set the tone for all that came" (meaning that Without Man Yee, There Would Be No Present Me). In addition to his gratitude for her willingness to let him overstay and tend to him during those months of despair, Man Yee taught him to pay it forward, which is an intertextuality of a movie. Since someone had helped Man Yee before, she helped the persona to get over his distress phase of life, and the act of helping encouraged him to do the same. Let the world be pampered with love and light. The course I am taking is called "Contemporary Poetry as Text and Experience." The course’s name suggests that poetry is not only a written text but also something related to experience, in other words, how we apply a down-to-earth and easy to understand interpretation to the explanation of sophistication of a piece of poem OR how we use poems to make some precious moments of our lives even more unforgettable and to add more panache to our current status quo, be they good or bad. Writing a poem of gratitude can simply do.

Lai Yuen Lam, Thuy Words are timeless. No matter how much life changes, words remain steadfast, and the emotions they convey remain constant. This poem is an emotional expression of sincere gratitude and kindness. The persona in the poem has undergone a period of struggle during young adulthood. To some extent, he was too impoverished to rent a place in the expensive city of Hong Kong. Consequently, he stayed with his friend Man Yee in Shau Kei Wan for the first few months of his arrival in the city. During his stay, the persona experienced a range of emotional upheavals, not only due to the disappointment of not being able to live as well as he had hoped before arriving in the city, but also because of a profound sense of shame. The persona expresses a sense of humiliation when he says, "I long outstayed my welcome when I left." This line reflects his anger at staying at his friend's house for longer than he and she had anticipated. However, the poem was written as a token of gratitude to Man Yee, who provided her flat and her patience, while the persona's money had run out. Without Man Yee's compassionate heart and patience, he could have been kicked out and might not have become the person he is today. While waiting for a "crucial leg-up lift," meaning that he was being helped by Man Yee, his burdens were probably beyond his mental capacity. Not only did he have no money or job prospects, but his dignity had also crumbled, both at home and outside. However, Man Yee did not leave him alone to face this situation. It is worth noting that the imagery of "leg-up" is used metaphorically to depict the persona's attempt to lift himself out of this situation and climb up the social ladder, which demonstrates his perseverant aspiration.