Paint an Island

by Michelle Reisdorf

 

Some francolins came this afternoon,

Spattered my drawing paper with ink.

Suddenly, a jagged island,

Shallow cove and sandbeach

Appeared on it.

With one of my fingertips

I made petals fall in riotous profusion

Yes, and he,standing in the fair wind,in a Tang gown.

I thought we had met in a dream,

But one was in the mist – covered waters,

One was performing a sword-dance on the cliff.

畫一座島

雪泥(西歐)

 

午後,幾隻鷓鴣飛來

濺潑一紙墨。

隱約呈現嶙峋孤島,

淺灣,沙灘。

我用指尖輕描

桃李繽紛,他穿著唐朝的青衫

曉風拂面。

夢裏似曾招喚,

一個沉溺煙波,

一個峭岩舞劍。

The Chinese Knot

臺灣臺北/許其正

 

Let’s make a Chinese knot

Let’s crisscross that knot

Let’s make that knot

Thread by thread

 

Let’s make that Chinese knot

Thread by thread

Taking our creation into it

Taking our love into it

Taking our Chinese tradition into it

 

Let’s make that Chinese knot

Let’s make it into every image

Let’s make it in every color

And almost important of all,

Let’s make one China in it!

 

Thread by thread

Let’s make everything into it

Let’s make that Chinese knot

Let’s crisscross that knot