The Middlewesterner

AFTER WANG WEI'S
"BIRD-SINGING STREAM"

I am lazy
as the falling

flowers. The night
is quiet, the

mountain empty.
The moon rises,

surprises a bird
which wants to sing

about the river.

~

AFTER WANG WEI'S
"RILL OF THE HOUSE OF LUANS"

The wind blasts
an autumn rain,

water spilling
over rocks.

The splashing
startles an

egret which
rises, white,

then settles
back again.

~

AFTER WANG CHIH-HUAN'S
"ASCENT THE HERON TOWER"

The white sun
follows the mountains.

The river flows
to the sea.

Already, you can
see forever here,

and you can
still go higher.

~

AFTER SOME LINES
FROM LI PO'S "TO SEE
SECRETARY SHU-YUN OFF
AT HEHSIEH T'IAO TOWER
AT HSUAN-CH'ENG"

I want to climb the sky
and hold the moon.

I use my sword
to cut the water --

the water still flows.
I take to drinking

to drown my sorrow --
and still this sadness.

You must live in the world
but it pushes against you.

In the morning, let's
let loose, let's go fishing.

~

AFTER LI PO'S
"JADE STEPS GRIEVANCE"

It is late. The jade steps
are collecting dew. She

soaks her stockings, then
opens the curtains

to watch the autumn moon.

~