Guard focuses on safety by day, scribing by night

Li Yingming, a 58-year-old security guard at Northeastern University in Shenyang, Liaoning province, has written more than 2,000 poems in the past 10 years.

"Besides working for a living and taking care of my father, I spend all my free time reading and writing poems. It has been my lifelong dream to be a poet," Li said. "I hope this can provide some inspiration for young students."

Li recalled that he fell in love with writing when he was a child. Due to his family's financial pressures, he dropped out of high school and worked as a farmer and then a migrant worker in the city.

But Li, an incurable optimist, never lost his love of poetry over the years, even though he could barely find time to write.

He always carries a pen and paper with him so he could write down anything that might inspire him during the day. Sometimes, his writing makes him too excited to sleep at night.

Shelves containing hundreds of books occupy space inside the small, shabby home that Li rents. His most valuable possessions are 13 volumes of poetry that he has written. "Over the past 40 years, I have worked as a porter, have driven a tractor and have held many other odd jobs," he said. "This has given me a deep understanding of the joys and sorrows of the migrant workers who have to leave their homes and families to make a living in cities. We may not be well educated, but we do need and deserve respect."

In his first work, titled Migrant Workers, he wrote: "Please don't discriminate against me due to my work, and don't make fun of my countryside background. Even though my clothes are covered in dirt, my heart wants to be respected…"

This poem earned him a good reputation on the internet, and positive feedback from netizens confirmed that his dream of being a poet has come true.

Last year, Li applied to work as security guard at Northeastern University because the job allows him to have 48 hours of rest after one day of duty. This means he has plenty of time to read and write.

"I'm dying to study. I felt younger when I walked in the campus although I do not have the honor studying here," Li said with smile.

He has written many poems about his work life on campus.

"Please don't, please don't, look at me as a guard of the campus. Please allow me to read your name and stand guard," he wrote in Call Your Name and Stand Guard.

Through his poetry, Li has made friends with many college students, and they have invited him to join the school's poetry club.

"We like Li and his poems. They are positive and have meaning for us. The buildings, trees and even the grass at our university are all mentioned in his poems," said He Yuchang, a senior majoring in finance.

When asked which poem is his favorite, Li smiled.

"I do not know which of my poems is the best. Maybe it will be the next one."

Chen Mo in Shenyang contributed to this story.