Excerpt
17. REMEMBERING LI BAI ON A SPRING DAY
I know no poetry to equal his
his mind must be unique
freshness of Yu Xin
Bao Zhaos delicacy
as I watch the trees leaf out
here, north of the Wei
hes probably gazing at sunset
there, east of the Yangzi
when can we share
a pot of wine again
talk on and on about poetry
until its nearly daybreak?
21. FRIENDSHIP
A flick of the hand
and its rain or storm
wherever I look
change and fickleness
the old ideal of friendship
as loyalty and permanence
has turned into dirt
under our feet.
23–24. A SUMMER OUTING
I
How nice to board the barge
as the sun meets the horizon
the breeze picks up
the water ripples
we sail past groves
of thick bamboo
and anchor in the cool
of water lilies
the young men mix
some icy drinks
the girls are slicing
lotus roots
but the clouds right overhead
grow black
rain makes me rush
my poem.
II
The shower wets the benches
we were sitting on
the wind blows hard
and rocks the boat
the southern girls
red skirts drenched
the northern beauties
seem to have ruined their makeup
the mooring line
saws and cuts the willow
the barges curtains are soaked
from breaking waves
our going home
will be wet and chilly
as if we were having autumn
right in the heart of summer.