Read Paper Republic: Four Poems by Yu Zhen 玉珍

2022-08-29 ☼ translations

I did not know

I did not know

I had such a precious
past
   the abrasions of poverty
   made these sparks glow

back when I lay in the fields
breathing in the scent of nature
a gentle wind enveloped me
and the scent on the wind drew tears

in years to come, I wonder,
   will life ever be so calm again?
those sacred memories
water impoverished skulls
I have ploughed my way through suffering and all that we label existence

I did not know they were poems

Read all four poems at Read Paper Republic