Ordinary Life: Four Poems by He Xiaozhu
1 min read
A Passing Thought
Something
wants to burst out of my chest
passion, a stirring of the heart
call it human nature if you like
but I swallow it straight back down
remembering I’m already sixty-two
I ought to stay calm
A Note
Two things
happened today
worth noting
first, the flower proved to be plastic
second, the wine that had gone sour
could finally be poured away
Plain to See
I see the stone for what it is
I see the sea for what it is
that’s the lead-in
here’s what I’m getting at
I see my own deep feelings
plain as a blank sheet of paper
Bringing Him Light
The ritual master said, on the first and second days
you must go and bring him light just before nightfall
which means going up the hill to light a candle
I went. On the first day, halfway up, I met an old woman
she smiled at me and said, off to bring him light?
Wouldn’t want him losing his way in the dark
On the second day I met her again. She lived nearby
Quite a climb, isn’t it? she asked
Not so bad if you take your time, I said
I lit a new candle
sat down and had a cigarette
Across the Wu River lay the old county town
where my father had lived and worked for most of his life
I could see him now
hurrying through the Nanmen archway and Shizi Street
his white shirt soaked with sweat
He was never afraid to walk in the dark
he was a good man, had helped many people
many would carry a light for him in their hearts
I was not alone
Author: He Xiaozhu (何小竹) is a poet, novelist and painter. In the 1980s, he participated in China’s “Third Generation” avant-garde poetry movement and was a member of the Feifei-ism poetry school (“非非”诗派). His publications include the poetry collection Timeline, the short fiction collection Zoo, and the novel Memoirs of Pan Jinlian. He has received several literary honours in China, including the Xiangpi Literature Award (橡皮文学奖), among others. In May 2024, he held his first solo art exhibition at Baiye (White Night) Poetry Space (白夜诗空间) in Chengdu.
Translator: Xi Nan (西楠) is a writer and translator working in English, Spanish and Chinese. Her own work explores memory, time, displacement and the complexities of human relationships, often drawing on everyday life and personal experience. She currently lives in England with her husband Fish Lu.