A dear friend sent me a poem she wrote over twenty years ago. It was one of her first efforts and she describes it as “primitive, as poems go.”  I never knew about it until a couple days ago, and I think it’s wonderful .  Ruby has become a serious, dedicated poet over the years and I’m honored that she wrote a poem about me and Mien Shiang. I am thrilled that she sent it and want to share it with everyone. Thank you, Ruby!

For My friend, a Chinese Face Reader

Having studied with an old Chinese man

    in her formative years,

She can tell you what your high brow means,

   or the shape and size of your ears

   Big or small can indicate the degree of risk you’re 

comfortable with.

And the shape of your face — are you water, earth, fire,

    metal or wood?

Your eyes — large, small, almond or round, fierce

    or soft?

Your nose, your ancestry, your courage, your character

Your mouth, full, thin, pursed, wide, generous,

    determined and your chin — strong, weak, stubborn,

sharp?

We are yin and yang and she tells us to be glad 

of the imbalance in ourselves.

To notice what our strong points are — this is her gift

    To help people; tell them of what their faces show

    To help them maximize their strengths

Know what the faces around them indicate

so we can find balance — in our partners, our co-workers…

so we can live better, simple as that

    if that’s simple. . . at all,

ever.

Ruby Odell