“I’m going to burp, Bonnie!” & other poems

“I’m going to burp, Bonnie!”

There was an old logger
who lived in a cabin He had many
trees who knew

what would
happen He gave them all
beetles and chopped them all

down And when they grew
back he was still
sitting round There

was a young doctor who worked
in a coffin He measured
the skulls took notes

very often The research was good
but the weather was cold After
he burned

them he got to grow
old There was an old
doctor who

did a great job He ate
many patients
like corn

on the cob I’m going to burp
Bonnie! but she didn’t
care That he got

sick too and collapsed
in his chair There was a young
logger who loved

planting trees He opened
a stump that was filled
with old fleas His leg cracked

open and so
did his lung Off fell
his hatchet that he’d bare

ly swung There was
a young woman who lived
in a shoe Her and her

children all caught
avian flu What will
we tell her

when one of them dies The old logger
will surely come
up with good lies:

Devil’s PPE

“Cautionary measures, including protective clothing, were taken. Researchers developed hand signals to communicate with one another while wearing protective gear; additionally, apples were used as a protection against infection. The workers believed that chewing and spitting out the slices of apple would ‘absorb any live bacteria that had entered their mouths.’”

—Derek Pua, Unit 731: The Forgotten Asian Auschwitz

An apple a day keeps the patients at bay
An apple a day eats the insects away
An apple a day are the farmers you slay
An apple a day is whatever you say
An apple a day burned many logs today
An apple a day dropped some fleas off the bay
An apple a day chopped some wood on your way
An Apple a day milked their flesh from the clay
An apple a day can’t believe it! no way!
An apple a day chewed the bodies to grey
An apple a day and you won’t have to pray
An apple a day so the horses won’t neigh
An apple a day yet we “live with” the plague
An apple a day flings the doctors away

flings the doctors away
flings the doctors away
flings the doctors away
flings the doctors away
flings the doctors away
fling the doctors away
fling the doctors away
fling the doctors away
fling the doctors away
fling the doctors away

An apple a day invites the doctors to stay
An apple a day sells an Apple a day
An apple a day prays the gay away
An apple a day zapped the tism away
An apple a day yanked the children away
An apple a day there is no airborne way
An apple a day is there no other way?

Unit Riot

After Chen Li

⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀

⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀⼀

⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗

⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼀⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗

⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗

⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼀⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗

⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗

⼗⼗⼗⼗⼀⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗

⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗

⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼀⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗

⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼀⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗

⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗⼗

⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊

⽊⽊⽊⼗⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊

⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊

⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⼗⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⼗⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊

⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊

⽊⽊⽊⼗⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⼈⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊

⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊

⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⼗⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊

⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊

⼗⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊

⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊

⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽔⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊

⽊⽊⽊⽊⽔⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊

⽊⽊⽔⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊⽊不

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类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类

类类类类类类⼤类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类

类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类类

⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶

⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⼤⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶

⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶⽶

众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众

众众众众众众众众⼈⼈众众众众众众众众众众众众众𠈌众

众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众从⼈⼈众众众众

众众众众众⼈从众𠈌众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众

众众𠈌众众众众众众⼈众众众众众众众众众众众众⼈众众

众⼈众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众⼈众众众众众众

众众众众众众众众从众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众

从众众众众众众众⼈众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众

⼈⼈众众众众众众众众众众众众众众⼈众众众众众众众众

众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众⼈众众众众众众众

众⼈众众众众众众众众众⼈从众𠈌众众众众众众众众众众

从众众众众众众众众⼈众众众众众众众众众众众⼈从众𠈌

众众众⼈众众众众众⼈从众𠈌众众众众众众众众众众众众

众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众⼈众众众众众众⼈从

众𠈌众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众从众众众众⼈

众众众众众⼈众众众众众众众从众众众众众⼈众众众众众

众众众众众众众众众众众⼈众众众⼈众众众众众众众众众

众⼈从众𠈌众众众众⼈从众𠈌众众众众众众众众众众众众

众众众众众众众众⼈众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众

众众⼈众众众众众众众众众众众众众⼈众从众众众众众众

众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众众

⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕

⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⼈⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕

⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕

⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⼈⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕

⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕

⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⼤⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕

⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⼈⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕

⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕

⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⼈⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕

⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕

⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⼈⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕

⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕

⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⼈⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕⽕

Note: The characters per stanza are as follows: one; ten; wood; forest; forest, dark, dense, gloomy, eerie, orderly, strict, rigid, or multitudinous; species, class, category, race, sacrificial rite, or resembling; uncooked rice or metre; crowd or multiple; and fire, ammunition, internal heat, or urgent. Interrupting these stanzas are the characters for big; no; cluster, collection of books, or thicket; from, follow, or obey; to guess, to worry, or deceit and trickery; people or human; and characters from the previous stanza. The phrase “众⼈“ refers to a crowd or multiple, as in the idiom, “everyone shoves a man already rolling downhill,” while the phrase “⼈⼈” means each person, as in “it is everyone’s responsibility” “there is enough for everyone,” or “death is the great leveller for all people.” The phrase “⼈从众𠈌” is online slang for huge crowds of people.

UNIT 731

Unit 731, running from 1936-1945, was a covert research unit of the Japanese imperial army that conducted lethal biological and chemical human torture during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II. Not merely a single unit based in Harbin, Unit 731 ran across East and Southeast Asia and involved a large percentage of civilian researchers across Japan’s medical community. It also dropped plague bombs in parts of Zhejiang near where my family and ancestors are from.

In Harbin, the kempeitai (the imperial police) kidnapped the already marginalized of society to torture and experiment on: the poor, mad, disabled, pregnant, young, elderly, and politically dissident. After WWII, the United States granted immunity to the doctors of the Unit in exchange for data gained from such experiments. Some of these doctors went on to work in Japanese universities, pharmaceutical companies, as well as the National Institute of Health in the United States.

To stomach their duties, the doctors and researchers of Unit 731 called their victims “maruta,” the Japanese word for logs. At one point in the Unit’s history, multiple victims staged a riot that lasted for an hour—before workers killed them with gas.

Prior to establishing the Unit, its founder Shirō Ishii self-funded a trip to Canada, United States, and Europe. Today’s organized abandonment of sick and disabled people to ongoing pandemics, poverty, and policing inherits the eugenicist and imperialist legacies of Unit 731’s vision of science, medicine, and epidemiology. Our resistance—as dense, multiple, and multiplying as forests and old growth—must outsize these legacies.

By Jane Shi

“I’m going to burp, Bonnie!” & other poems

“I’m going to burp, Bonnie!”

Devil’s PPE

Unit Riot

UNIT 731

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