Note: This is a poem by Helen F. Snow for An-Wei. It was found by her niece, Sheril Foster Bischoff, in a box of her belongings from the nursing home after her death. Judging from her original notes and the typed poem by the nurse, this poem was most probably written in September 1996, and it was likely the last piece she wrote in her life. -- Editor
An-Wei
By Helen Foster Snow
An-Wei lives in the far Northwest,
China’s birthplace is there.
The first emperor’s tomb still stands,
Chinese and Mongols like the pure air.
Paochi is his native home,
The Silk Road runs along.
Six brothers and one sister,
His clan is seventy strong.
Their grandmother was Christian,
He was picked to go outside.
He was the most promising son,
He was the family’s joy and pride.
He had a college education,
He passes every test.
He liked Uncle Tom’s Cabin,
But he liked Mark Twain the best.
Born about 1945,
An-Wei is around fifty-two.
He went to college in Sian
and traveled widely abroad too.
An expert on America,
He knows old Scotland too.
He has knowledge of cities
And they are not very few.
An-Wei has personality,
All foreigners like it.
It’s a good mix of East and West,
It has both charm and wit.
All full of charm and wit,
His adult life was in Sian.
He married a college teacher
Mary Niu was her name.
She is also liked by foreigners,
And she does good translations.
They are a model couple
For a new modern nations.
Minnesota is a sister state,
They sometimes visit it.
They also come to Connecticut
And visit Sharon Crain a bit.
They go to Kansas City,
The home of Edgar Snow.
He has published his biography
As many Chinese know.
##HELEN SNOW’S LAST LETTER TO AN WEI
May 20, 1996
Dear An Wei,
Today Sharon Crain came to see me and I am deathly sick and I cannot write. But I want to send a message. I thought I would write a last message to you from the Fowler Nursing Home in Ct. where there are 90 other people.
I remember how young you were when I met you in 1978 in Xi’an and you were my guide. I was impressed when we passed the Banpo Neolithic Village, but it was closed, and you immediately went in and had it opened for us. It showed you are capable of action! We were then late for dinner in Xi’an.
Since then we have kept in touch and I think of you as my chief connection with China. You have a good personality and are capable of action, words and writing. You have helped make a great change in the Northwest of China. When I asked Sharon Crain today in the Nursing Home who she was most impressed with in China, she said you were number one. That’s quite remarkable.
You have a great future. We have enjoyed our acquaintance with you. Isn’t it nice to have you as the authority on “Snow Country”.
I am very glad you are married to an EQUAL, and such a wonderful girl, as I understand she is from people that know her. Two can only double effectiveness. If they are the right couple, if you have the right marriage, this double-effectiveness is not only twice but many times. I know you both will continue along the same lines.
It is one of my satisfactions having had the connection with you. Carry on the torch. I depend on you to carry on the torch. Isn’t it fortunate for me that I have you? I send my best love and good wishes for you and your wife, Jian Hua.
You are one of the most promising young men I have ever met.
Helen foster Snow
……………………………………………………….
I am sending you an attachment of the last letter which Helen had sent to you just before she died. I am sure you have it but for sure it should be included in your book. You can use whatever parts you wish. At that time she also wrote her last words to Huang Hua, Kung Pusheng and Lu Cui. Helen was not one to say thank you but in her final days she knew she would die soon and wanted to say thank you to the few very special people in her life.