the cat rubs against my leg
as I sit at my desk
one finger typing
on the keyboard
my mind in another dimension
until he brings me back
to the here
the now
the white wine
the cherries
the almonds
3 am in Istanbul
and hours away
from sleep
Month: May 2014
Watching Fireflies by Tu Fu
Fireflies from the Enchanted Mountains
come through the screen this autumn evening
and settle on my shirt
my lute and my books grow cold
outside, above the eaves
they are hard to tell from the stars
they sail over the well
each reflecting a mate
in the garden they pass chrysanthemums
flares of color against the dark
white-haired and sad
I try to read their code
wanting a prediction:
will I be here next year
to watch them?
translated by David Young
moving toward tomorrow
there
on the horizon
my eyes
moving toward tomorrow
one hour one day
at a time
The Shadow of Flowers by Su Tung P’o
It piles up, thick and formidable, on the marble terrace.
The pages, called again and again, try to sweep it away.
Just then, the sun comes out and carries it off.
But never mind, the next moon
The shadows will come back.
translated by Kenneth Rexroth
Farewell by Gu Cheng
Today
You and I
Are stepping over that venerable threshold
Don’t offer blessings
Don’t say goodbye
To do so would sound like a performance
Better to keep silence
Concealing isn’t necessarily deceptive
Why not leave memories for the future
Just as we leave dreams in the night
Or tears in the sea
And wind in the sails
translated by Fang Dai, Dennis Ding, & Edward Morin
from Chords by Bei Dao
When you fall asleep on the beach
The wind pulls up short at your mouth
Waves stealthily lap nearby
Shaped in soft curves
The dream is all alone
The sea is much too far away
translated by Fang Dai, Dennis Ding, & Edward Morin
Hope by Ai Qing
A friend of dreams
And sister of fantasy
She is your very shadow
But always walks ahead
Shapeless as pure light
Restless as the wind
There is always some distance
Between the two of you
Like a bird flying outside the window
Or a cloud sailing in air
Like the butterfly beside the river
Cagey yet exquisite
Go after her–she’ll fly away
Ignore her–she’ll chase you
She’ll always keep you company
Until your breathing stops
translated by Fang Dai, Dennis Ding, & Edward Morin
in the garden
they descend
their voices loud shrill
the whole world needs
to hear
their trival chatter
the peace shattered
in this garden
gone the way of
the lowest common denominator
and self-absorption
The Echo by Ai Qing
She’s hiding in the valley
She’s standing over the cliff
If you refuse to dally
She’ll act as if she’s deaf
But call her and she’ll call you
Curse her and you she’ll curse
You can’t win if you argue
The last word’s always hers
translated by Fang Dai, Dennis Ding, & Edward Morin
The Pledge by Zhao Lihong
What is craved into rock
Is perhaps not imperishable
What gets printed
Isn’t necessarily immortal
Things floating away like hazy smoke
Are not absolutely doomed to vanish
The shooting star that plummets
Will not necessarily disappear
A sincere smile
And a glance like unheard lightning
Coming from the heart
Are far better
Than a solemn vow of love
That sounds like a thunderbolt
translated by Fang Dai, Dennis Ding, & Edward Morin
Leonard Durso 