Author: Annie Xiong

Annie Xiong reflects on the things we’re willing to sacrifice, and the ones we aren’t.

Peonies don’t have thorns. By Annie Xiong.

In this poem, Annie Xiong describes the uncanny link between all life.

Annie Xiong writes of the ignorance of childhood.

Behind a smile is a poem that experiments with unorthodox formatting to derive deeper meaning from the piece. It can be read from top to bottom, left to right, or with one perspective or two; every which way brings a different interpretation to the writing. The smiling motif symbolizes the persona, a mask you wear to hide your authentic self from others. Annie Xiong view this poem as the narrator’s true, vulnerable feelings behind their pained smile.