Daniel C's Poems

Atheist’s Belief

Followers of religious beliefs
Open your eyes to the world beneath
Destroyers of things approaching silently
Imminent death invading quickly
The cool air chills the beads of sweat
Our stomachs pains us with no regret
Believing in God, some still pray
“Dear God, Pa is a very devout Buddhist.”
But will God answer this prayer?
Or will he ignore it?
Thousands pray, but many other pay
For following such religious beliefs
Working for one’s own survival
Passing treacherous trials and dangerous men
Unable to move on, we stick to God
And pray for mercy at the hands of war

Daniel C.


Dream and Reality


Fireworks blooming in the background
Giggling and laughing at the New Year’s Parade
Dreaming of the Cambodian Lunar New Year
I am Loung, the child in red dress
Chou is next to me clapping
Geak is trying to catch up to me
As I run and spin around and around
Looking pretty in red ribbons, rouge and lipstick
My sisters and I hold hands
Rejoicing in the New Year celebration
But it is all just a dream
Sleeping, leaving the world behind
Then awoken by the voices of my family
Whispering, trying hard to not be caught
About the massacre of the homeless


Forgotten Paradise

I return to my home
My home long ago from Taiwan
The buildings near it were riddled
With intricate designs of graffiti
There are many bicycles laying on the sidewalk
Covered with litter were the streets with holes
Gone are the tall, leafy trees
Replaced were the wide boulevards of cement
Motorcycles, cars, trucks were everywhere
No peaceful place to think thoughtfully
But what wasn’t taken from me
Are the house, the place, the memories
I cannot see a chance to rebuild
My long ago paradise of a sweet home
Still, I live to see the place of
My first feelings of joy and happiness

Daniel C.