|
|
Spring 2005
|
|
|
|
POEMS BY YUNGTZE
蓉子詩選*
FORSAKE THE HOLY, DISCARD WISDOM 棄聖絕智
|
Huh, planting flowers is better than writing poems
How about a relaxing jaunt to watch the egrets
Or three big laughs because laughter benefits body and
mind
The world is vast and beautiful
If you have time why not travel
Or go to the fields and plant rice seedlings
— when the villages are short of talent
I plant roses I plant hibiscus
I plant poinsettias
I give them each a pinch of earth
Usually I give them only fresh water
And they respond auspiciously with
Glad green
Touching red
I write poetry in anticipation of a flash of inspiration
Under a burning blood alcohol lamp
Even sacrifice sleep, fun, and friendship
In exchange for poverty, cold, and torture
Don’t you see the wind blow outside raising the dust?
The price of goods goes up
While the soul falls
|
|
From Bai Ling 白靈et al eds. Chung-hua hsien-tai wen-hsueh ta-hsi er—
Taiwan 1989-2003 shih chuan i《中華現代文學大系(貳)- 臺灣1989 ~
2003 詩卷(一 》( A Comprehensive Anthology of Contemporary
Chinese Literature in Taiwan, 1989-2003, Poetry Vol. 1 ). Taipei: Chiuko Publishing Co., 2003. |
|
|