A New Century

Painting by Lampo Leong


A NEW CENTURY

Hearts leant to honor,
the earth darkens
we read the light in the Book of
Cement, read the truth

The golden bomb blows up
we are willing to turn into victims
and to display our wounds to others

On some photo-negative an archeologist
will discover the spirit of the times
which a child grabs onto, saying no,

it is history that prevents us
from flying
birds that prevent us from walking
legs that prevent us from dreaming

we who give birth to ourselves
who are birth


Bei Dao

Posted over on Poems & Poetics

Translation from Chinese by Clayton Eshleman & Lucas Klein