Z H A O   X I A
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STUTTGART CHRISTMAS

 

Translated by Rachel Levitsky and Zhang Er

 

Hair cut
ends even

Quiet cube of reading
possibly invaded by smoke

Early generations captured
also by walnut and kiwi fruit
as they unexpectedly twitter into bird
how even the magician hasn't got the answer

The poet always loves to do her useless things
bagatelles, plots make worldly busy routine more
chaotic, trivial, self-assuredly sends short cell messages
to capital oblivious toward the fact of electronic disfunction

Slide show installs added maze of time and space. Private secrets
mother replays in front of daughter-in-law: boyfriends smoking pipes,
old fashioned white sandals, moist wide desk, fleshy belly in a swimsuit.
Seagulls unseen, though in Hong Kong, two or three cruise ships come to
port…A time when the old are still young, the full bearded yet to be born.

The present is a brand new portable radio
that perhaps rebuilds us earthlings: fall in
love with the pop bubbles right away. Everyone
would be born a plastic shelled boat in perpetual
motion, sinking and floating with cool fashion.

 

 

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