Early in the morning of summer,

You can hear the honks, the beeps, the shuffling

Of thousands of vehicles and humans,

The composition of a metropolitan.

Noodle shops open their doors

Vendors set up on streets.

Parents come out and buy breakfast,

Porridge, dishes, chinese fried bread.

Kids and parents alike stream out of doors,

To parks and to pools,

Walking along to path or swimming peacefully.

Small children frolic and play.

My cousin and I are among these people,

Trying to catch dragonflies,

Then going to the park to play basketball,

Then swimming at the crowded pools.

Other days,

We would go skateboarding around the neighborhood,

Or play hide and seek,

Or play tag.

Another night we visit a mall,

With movies and shops.

We watched a movie and had lots of fun,

Then walked back to the apartment.

During the night the place is beautiful,

Signs and lights flashing to its heart’s content.

Tall buildings scraping the sky,

The constant buzz of a huge city.

A wide river called the Bund,

Stretches around the famous skyline,

With boats and barges floating about,

Transporting their packages and goods.

One night my cousin and I,

Went onto a cruise that took us around the Bund,

The water was dark,

Glistening with reflections from the towers.

The Shanghai tower dwarfed others,

The shining tip of it glowing above the smog.

The Oriental Pearl Tower with its three orbs,

Flashing red, blue, purple, bright and intoxicating colors.

Other nights my cousin and I sat in his room,

Watching Detective Conan and Bonnie Bears and war films,

With the AC on,

Lying on the bed.

When we lay down to sleep,

We would talk until my cousin drifted off.

I would lay awake with light streaming through the window,

And city noises in my ear.

And finally the honks, beeps, and scuffles,

With the coolness of the AC,
With my cousin’s steady breathing,

I fall asleep.

Time passes until I have to go,

Can’t believing it went by that fast,

Not wanting to go,

But having to.

Goodbyes are said,

Promises made to meet next year.

Then on the plane,

Watching Shanghai disappear below me.