Seven Zingers By Yan Li

(from his ongoing series of short poems, 'Polyhedral Mirror') ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... *** I don't want to ride a sickbed into the 2020s but the 2020s are riding into my body on a sickbed of their own 我不想乘坐病床进入二十一世纪二十年代 但二十一世纪二十年代会乘坐病床进入我的身体 *** An event that makes the collective face turn red only happens in back alleys of a nation's consciousness 一桩使集体脸红的事情 只发生在人类民族意识的小巷里 *** Inter-party conflict has to elevate the reason for a gang fight to national or racial status because that is where the convalescents get the best treatment 党派之争必须把打群架的理由升高到 国家与民族的地位 因为那儿有最好的条件疗伤 *** Pieces of cloth cut from two flags make elbow patches for my worn sleeves I feel them lifted in a carefree-beggar breeze 从旗帜上剪下两块布 补我磨破的袖口 体会两袖清风曾被举起来的滋味 *** Walking along if you don't kick something down the road, you start to look effete He has the word "door" embroidered on his trouser leg the door to a nation 往前走 不踢一点东西显得过于斯文 他把「门」字 缝在库脚上 那扇国家的门 *** Before my eyes dripping with quicksilver tears the mirror shows glass grown puffy from crying 镜子在我滴着水银的双眼前 照见了它哭肿的玻璃 *** Night-time I leap up like a volleyball player to spike the lamp's light within bounds of hell and win for heaven the dream of Man's survival 夜晚 我像排球运动员一样跃起 把灯光像球扣在地狱界内 为天堂赢得了人类生存的那场美梦 (translated by yours truly) ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... *Photo: Two of my poet friends--- Yan Li (R) is founder and co-chair of the Flushing Chinese Poetry Fest. Prior to that, he founded the Beijing Mid-Autumn Poetry Festival. As an artist, he was a member of the seminal early avant-garde group, the Star Star Painters. The late Meng Lang (L) was a poet and co-founder of the Chinese Independent P.E.N. Center.}