White Jasmine

by Shaomei Yu

I found myself running
By the riverbank
Trying to catch the boat—
Leaving the dock

Along the riverside
What I caught was—
Only dust
Through the warm air
Familiar aroma
Rushed
And pulled
the muscle memory
Buried deep in its roots

I thought I heard a sigh
By the pale bridge
Your favorite white jasmine
The curled petals fell—
Scattering

That day you were leaving
Across the fast-flowing
River, never could I
Catch the wind
With you

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Shaomei Yu is a bilingual poet with a passion for capturing life’s moments in verse. She moved to the US from China in the 1990s. She believes poetry is a universal language that transcends boundaries and connects people across cultures. Yu holds an MS in Industrial Management from Stony Brook University and a BA in Biology from Zhejiang University. Her poems have appeared in Moonstone Press anthologies, Washington Square Review LCC (Summer 2025 edition), Fjords Review, and Cathexis Northwest Press.