Mahn-Chi Foung

Mahnchi Foung, also known as Mira Fong, has passed away peacefully on September 06, 2020 at the age of 74. She moved to Santa Fe from Northern California in 1982. As a doctor of oriental medicine, she had a practice in Santa Fe for over 30 years. Mira studied philosophy and was an innovative thinker. She was also a poet, artist and writer. Mira was known to many as a dedicated animal rights activist fighting against the practice of factory farming. Her book on the philosophy of animal rights,   “Right To Life –A Critical Ethics” , written in Chinese, was published  in 2018. Here is one of her poems, expressing her love for nature. She enjoyed taking care of the trees and bushes along the river path nearby her home.

The Wind Would Come

Years I have watched over you

How your tiny body had grown into a perfect tree

Self poised in morning air

Leaves like hands eager to catch the glistening light

Drinking the liquid moon at night

To talk about faraway things

You and I, by the river

Always arching over when I walked by

You have become indispensable

I gave you my mornings and nights

From the sweltering summer to the first snow

The rain has stopped after a raging storm

The wayward birds are coming back

It is strange

Not able to take shelter in your arms anymore

I shall continue my river walk

No longer looking up

The wind would come

To circle around your fallen limbs

Murmuring sadly in silent hours

For a fallen tree after the storm of the century.

Mira Fong July 27, 2018