Artful Dodge

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Artful Dodge


Gu Cheng

Partners


Was it yesterday? The day before?
Anyway, it was before
We wrapped a stone in a handkerchief
Threw it up into the sky's blue--

What dizziness, the earth and sky
Swinging terribly around each other
We opened hands warmed by one another
Waited our punishment from God

But no thunder, no lightening
The stone silently floating back
What about that handkerchief?
We looked at the top of an old tree

From then on we never saw it again
Anyway, it was a long time ago
Only the loyalty of a stone
Thinks forever of its lovely partner

                                 1980

(Translated from the Chinese by Stephen Haven and Wang Shouyi)

 

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