Foot Binding Poem by Nassy Fesharaki

Foot binding

In those days
The books say:
'Women's feet
Were small,
Naturally,
Or were tied.'

We speak of China,
Not near, not too far!

Women were nothing but,
Heat for the bed,
Slow walks,
Being leashed was a must.

Today when all of us
Went to work for TELUS,
The building was a house.

Came a man, age, thirties,
Stepped out to help me,
Though good in English,
His culture was Chinese.

We asked him and he was,
Unaware of where, how,
Concisely he replied:
'My mother knows it all! '

History in my mind
Politely, I smiled.

And pictured:
Mao Zedong!

He swam and he fought,
Resisted, learned, and taught:
'Chinese must have pride…'

He reached out to the skies,
Brought down British Sun!