VERSES ON BIRD, by Zhang Er and translated by Eleni Sikelianos

Jensen/Daniels, 1999, True first edition, 22pp., 5 3/4" X 8 3/4", Stapled wrap

Very good+

Zhang Er grasps for the spiritual through objects of the mundane, quietly detailing the wonder and desperation that courses through human lives. In these poems, the eye watches the eye so that no facet of our existence remains unexplored. "Zhang Er belongs to the generation beyond lament or anger over the hardship endured by Chinese intellectuals, from overthrown rebellion to construction, from confusion to clarity, from darkness to light (ambiguity to clarity). She walks out of suffering and uncertainty, discovers the loveliness, preciousness of life and self-respect

True first edition. Not to be confused with the later 2004 reprint