My Mother's Radio

My mother used to have a radio Bagged in black imitative leather; The round speaker, volume, tuner in front, And a small antenna is hidden on top. When she pickled bamboo shoots or fishes, Or when she filled up cotton mattress, She loved to listen to traditional music. She turned to country songs during her sewing. She listened to the folkloric plays While she was busy in the backyard. If by accident, she turned to the news show; She stayed there for a while to save ideas For a dinner discussion with my father. Then one day she dropped the radio: The traditional music ceased. She tapped it, hoping to recover the situation: Radio revived, but the tuning knob locked up; Her amusing stations were unreachable; Only the news broadcast noise. She did not want to spend money To bring to the shop or to buy a new one. She listened to the propaganda news. For the long years, the radio made My mother’s world heartlessly shrinks!