It has been my desire that one day, I would publish my poems. The time has come. In a span ofmore than three decades, poetic sentiments have come to me sporadically. I have been able tocapture them at those transient moments. They have reflected my genuine thoughts and feelings.These poems are from an engineer who has lived in two worlds, and about starting over. It isthrough reading them that I feel I am living my life once more. I hope that my readers will feelthe same.Growing up in Shanghai before immigrating to the United States in 1989, I care to read andunderstand modern history of Shanghai and China from an American perspective. Some of thepoems are a result of these readings and reminiscence of my old world. I hope they will givereaders a glimpse of the world where the events are impacting us. Examples are poems of "WholeRiver Red: Childhood of the Bund," "Whole River Red: The Turbulence of the Century," and"Thinking of Your Tenderness: Xi'an Coup d' tat in 1936." They are written in one of the Ciforms the ancient poem formats with various titles and structured long and short verses as well asunique tunes and tones within. Unfortunately, the Ci's unique musicals would be lost in Englishtranslation, along with its highly condensed classical idioms, metaphors, and poetic visualsassociated with a pictorial language.I try to make it up with background notes when dealing with historical figures and events. Whenpoems are written originally in English, they are restored in Chinese.It is my hope that the bilingual form of this book brings pleasure to readers in both worlds.Additionally, I have grouped together those poems created in the farewell mood and during travelsso that my readers would have an engaging experience when crossing between the past and thepresent and the real and emotional realms.


James Xu is a remarkable engineer-turned poet who has lived in two worlds. In this book he captures in an instant an intimate and authentic voice of more than 30 years. Xu's poetry dealt not only with reflections of his GE engineering life, but with love, hope, nostalgia, and "Starting Over." The Bilingual form of this book brings pleasure, values and healing power to readers in two worlds.

James Xu is a remarkable engineer-turned poet who has lived in two worlds. In this book he captures in an instant an intimate and authentic voice of more than 30 years. Xu's poetry dealt not only with reflections of his GE engineering life, b