When someone asks me what it means to live in China
I do not speak.
I breathe in deeply and exhale slowly
Like it’s the middle of winter
Watching my breath dissipate into the air
Lit with the glow of a million fireworks
Taking to the heavens in unison
Banging on the dome of the sky
With the hopes of a million people
Shuffling through the streets of vermillion
Kicking up the ash and empty mortars with their toes.