That Day by Hei Feng, tr. Wang Ping

That Day

by Hei Feng, tr. Wang Ping

 

So much anxiety after Mother was buried

So much fear

Under the white sun

You died, Mother

My wound was buried with your body 

Your black bones have my batting sticks

That day

I carried the wind

I carried white eyes

Empty basket

That day, I was empty

That day, I was weightless

That day, I was all bones

That day, I was full of fear

My sister was still young

My other sister was married

I went out to gather vegetables for pigs

Lilies,shepherd purse, spinach

Come out, hurry

Alfalfa, plantain, ground covers

Don’t hide yourselves

I’m coming

Seek

Seek seek seek seek

I filled half of my basket 

The sun entered the earth

My little sister wanted her mother

Don’t be afraid

Big brother will take you home

Brother, your hand is cold

Brother, you’re crying

Sister, you have no idea

what kind of fear I have in my heart

That day

The world changed

The white sun pushed me down

Water carried me 

----away

That day, I was all bones

That day, I was weightless

That day, I was empty

That day, I was afraid

The world was a net full of holes

 

那天……

葬了母亲好惊慌

葬了母亲怕

白太阳

母亲你死去

体内有我的伤

你的黑骨里

有我的木棒

那天

我提着风

我提着白眼

空竹篮

那天，我空

那天，我轻

那天，我瘦

那天，我多么慌

妹妹小

姊姊出嫁了

我去找猪草

黄花菜地米菜耳朵菜

你们快出来

苜蓿草车前草被褥草

你们不要

我来找

找

找找找找找……

找了半篮草

太阳落土

妹妹找母

不怕

哥哥带你回家

哥哥你手好凉

哥哥你哭了

妹妹你哪知道

哥哥心里好慌

那天

目光异样

白太阳将我推倒

水载我

——流走

那天，我瘦

那天，我轻

那天，我空

那天，我多么慌

世界是一个透风的网

 

 

______________________________

 

Wang Ping is a Chinese-American poet with over a dozen books to her name who lives in St. Paul, MN. See her webpage, WangPing.com.

 

See my reviews of her latest two poetry books at this post.