Lunar New Year Evening

After untold glasses of baijiu, the emphatic ganbeis,

 and gift of a blood-red envelope – licked I guessed

by golden dragons and issued by high councils

in the clouds – whose contents would prove

later useful for settling certain hospital bills,

        we went outside the restaurant

        and the academics proceeded to teach

        grappling techniques and other hits from

        the secret fighting arts

        of their forefathers.

        It was a beautiful

        Lunar new year

        evening.