Poem
Fang Xianhai
This work of art
Getting outof the taxi
I noticed in the distance
on the corner of Nanshan Road
a couple embracing
I thought as I walked passing couples lock-
ed in embrace
brought more of joy to the eye
than a city
full of degenerate
sculptures
but as I got closer
what answered my musing
took me by surprise
I saw
that this couple
were only going through the motions
of embracing
two heads drooping
and stuck
demoralized
together
without pleasure
without sadness
and even without
a stillness
to make you stop for a minute
in an uneasy
mood I
walked away
from them
but I went on
trying to come to terms with
this work of art
© Translation: 2009, Simon Patton and Guan Zhen
THIS WORK OF ART
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© 2001, Fang Xianhai
Poems
Poems of Fang Xianhai
Close
This work of art
Getting outof the taxi
I noticed in the distance
on the corner of Nanshan Road
a couple embracing
I thought as I walked passing couples lock-
ed in embrace
brought more of joy to the eye
than a city
full of degenerate
sculptures
but as I got closer
what answered my musing
took me by surprise
I saw
that this couple
were only going through the motions
of embracing
two heads drooping
and stuck
demoralized
together
without pleasure
without sadness
and even without
a stillness
to make you stop for a minute
in an uneasy
mood I
walked away
from them
but I went on
trying to come to terms with
this work of art
© 2009, Simon Patton and Guan Zhen
This work of art
Getting outof the taxi
I noticed in the distance
on the corner of Nanshan Road
a couple embracing
I thought as I walked passing couples lock-
ed in embrace
brought more of joy to the eye
than a city
full of degenerate
sculptures
but as I got closer
what answered my musing
took me by surprise
I saw
that this couple
were only going through the motions
of embracing
two heads drooping
and stuck
demoralized
together
without pleasure
without sadness
and even without
a stillness
to make you stop for a minute
in an uneasy
mood I
walked away
from them
but I went on
trying to come to terms with
this work of art
© 2009, Simon Patton and Guan Zhen
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