Found Poem For Chapter One

by Victor

The wind. Don't you feel it? Nobody else feels the wind. It's a ghost wind. It wants you. Maybe it's trying to pull you back. That couldn't be right. The grassy field where the caravans gathered. Chengli worked his way across the field until he saw the blue-and-white banner that identified his assigned caravan. People came from every far-away place—countries from beyond those magical clouds. You'll have to fight bandits—real bandits. I am skinny, but I’m tall and I’m strong. I don't care what people say. I want to join a caravan! I must be as fierce and as strong as tigers. Demons don't eat caravan men, they won't eat me. Do you want bandits to kill you too? Go you ungrateful mutt. Go right now!

Chengli Found Poem

-Yolihuani

The wind, Yellow with dust

Don't you feel it, Little Limp

Nobody else feels the wind

Its demon breath, maybe it's trying to pull you back

Show Yourself

Chengli relaxed

That couldn't be right

Stay, loved this imperial city

Follow the wind spirit

What it wants from me

City called Kasgar

Fell over the ciffs

The master

Stand, what have you brought me

Fifty bolts of plain white silk, satisfied

Loved this part of the city, it's the only home

The desert is calling me

Old Cook, tells me stories

There are demons out there

I am skinny but I am tall and strong

Survive, own parents didn't

Father never really died

Government exam,rich to pay

Mother got sick

I don't care what people say, I want to join a caravan

I was born in the year of the tiger

He thought about Old Cook, she was the only person who really cared

Whats on your mind

I watched the caravans, I want to go with them

Demons will eat you, the wild wind

Deathbed promise, steal my spirit if I break my promise

The ghost wind is making me crazy

Bandits killed your father, kill you too

Found Poetry by Else

The wind

Yellow with dust

A spirit wind

There is no wind

Nobody else feels the wind

Demon breath

It’s trying to pull you back

A demon wind calling him

The desert

Silk merchant in the city

I left the city

Follow the spirit wind

Delivered bolts of silk

Caravans gathered

Thousands of precious items

Fearful desert

Demons and dragons

Silk, Spices, Tea, And pottery

Caravan master

Record of silk

People how came

Looked different

Sounded different

Deset is calling

Trees disappear

Work in one

Caravans

Father died

Old Cook

Father disappeared

Mother got sick

Join a caravan

Just leave

Not leave without telling her

Like a mother

Go with them

Demons will eat

Demons don't eat caravan

Seen a caravan

Deathbed promise

Steal my spirit

Mother asked

Bandits to kill you

I will come back

Go

Chengli Found poems 2020-2021

This one made by: Xavier

A demon wind, it taunted him to remember places long forgotten. A spirit wind, it teased him to recall events he had never known. “Can´t you hear it? Don´t you feel it?¨ He said to his partner riding along with him in the cart. “You know don´t you-there is no wind!? ¨Maybe it not wind at all.¨ ¨Its demon breath”

¨It's driving me crazy¨ Chengli said cupping his ears.

Chengli shook his head lost in his own thoughts. ¨I was born in the year of the tiger! I must be as fierce and strong as tigers!¨ Chengli clenched his fists to help him keep his mouth shut.

A demon wind was calling him to the desert? That could not be right. But he must be wrong about that horrible wind. Yet maybe… ¨Maybe it's time I left this city to follow the spirit wind, so I can find out what it wants from me.¨

Found poetry by Alisson

The wind yellow with dust.

Dont you feel it? Little Limp.

Nobody else feels the wind.

Demon breath! Demon voice.

Maybe it's trying to pull you back.

Demons know something each direction.

He watched was smart yet maybe…

Be good two boys in the morning.

Soon these around over the highest mountains.

Off the back as workers.

Chengli took the baddle.

They came with black hair.

He feel Old Cook correct passport.

Become a house and care what people say,

He walked to the door and She was more like.

Here woman turned again at the streets come in.

And maybe killed your father,

He had the permission he needed.

Found poetry by Dalilah

The wind rolled and danced around

It taunted him

He guided his donkey cart through the crowded streets

No wind blew

With him in the cart, guarding his injured foot

They had to work

Nobody else feels the wind

its demon breath

Maybe it's trying to pull you back

The wind was not right

That couldn’t be right

He must be wrong about that horrible wind

He thought about all the talk he heard for the caravans left this city to follow the spirit wind

They passed the opening in the wall and made their way through

To sell the precious material

A huge bronze bell rang the curfew at night and the opening of the gates in the morning

They continued across town to the grassy field where the caravans gathered

The caravan men told him nothing about the far lands

The mountains were so high and cold that no camel could cross them

Only the bravest men could face such unknown terrors

Chengli worked his way across the field

He saw banner that identified his assigned caravan

“Stand!” the man ordered. “What have you brought me?”

The master checked each bolt for the imperial seal that marked it as having been inspected and approved for sale

Leading the donkey through the crowded streets of Chang’an

Tattered robes coughed a constant “Move! Move!” to their heavily loaded mules.

They came with black hair, red hair, curly hair... all except Chengli, of course, as his hair had been shaved off by Old Cook.

He didn’t like to talk about that.

“I’ve worked these streets every day of my life for the past four years,” Chengli said to Little Limp.

The desert is calling me.

I want to see it

Caravans don’t need skinny boys they need men.

I’ve heard people say the trails along the edge of the desert are lined with bones of people eaten by those hungry desert spirits.

“Then maybe he never really died.”

“Do you remember your father at all?”

“No, but i’ve been thinking about him” Chengli said

I have no idea what he was really like, and the older I get the more I wonder

“I don’t care what the people say, I want to join a caravan!”

“I won’t even try” Chengli said “I'll just leave.”

But as he walked, he thought about Old Cook, and he knew he could not leave without telling her.

He owed her honor and respect

She was the only person that really cared for him at all, and he must tell her about his plans.

Searching for the best way to tell her

He walked to kitchen and stopped

“I have returned, Honorable Auntie,” followed by “Something sure smells good in here!”

“Auntie I have to tell you something.”

“Today I watched the caravans prepare to leave Chang’an.” He dug his toes into the dirt floor and tried again. “I want to go with them”

“Auntie somewhere in my mind there are bits and pieces of another life, of horses and camels, heat and wind.”

“Demons don’t eat caravan men, and they won’t eat me.”

“The winds will tear you into shreds and float you back to me in little specks of yellow dust.” The woman turned again to the rice pot, shivering at her thoughts of unknown terrors.

“Your poor mother gave you to me. She begged me to raise you as my own son. I promised her. I promised her when she lay dying.” her voice shrilled. “What are you saying? That I break a deathbed promise? All the ghosts of all the dead in the Middle Kingdom will come and steal my spirit if I break my promise!”

“Auntie you’ve already done what my mother asked. I have to go with the caravans and chase that wind to see if my memories are real. I’ve told you a million times! Bandits killed your father. Do you want bandits to kill you too?”

“Not everybody gets killed by bandits!” He brushed the hair off his face and flung his arms out wide.

“Go then you ungrateful mutt. Go right now!”