In “Sunday Is Real”, poet Cathy Xinman distills the hush of a single day into an intimate meditation on love and presence. With language as clear as early morning light, the poem moves between quiet longing and cosmic stillness, letting absence and devotion speak in the spaces between words. Read slowly—the simplicity hides a depth of feeling that lingers long after the final line.
Let these words remind you of someone you hold close—even when they are far. For in the realm of true affection, sometimes the simplest moments are the most real.
Sunday Is Real
by Cathy Xinman
Sunday is real,
just like you.
You do not know why—
just as I do not wish to miss you,
simply because I do not want to tell you.
Do not go far.
If you wish,
let your voice come close to my ear.
Pain keeps battling,
and I sleep with my brow tightly furrowed.
Within your open love,
the night grows quiet,
like stars—both distant and before my eyes.
In your beloved,
most beloved love,
that star you once held
shimmers upon my lips.
Beyond you,
there is nothing.
Cathy Xinman writes poetry in English and Chinese. Find her English-language collection, Where You Love Yourself, on Amazon. You can also hear her poetry on her TikTok page. She is also editor-in-chief The Best Poems of the Year by Chinese Poets & Writers of the World 2025. People with Chinese ancestry can submit poetry to this anthology in Chinese or English by emailing cnawpress@gmail.com.
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