In a drizzle, windows in the housing estate light up one by one
He drags his weary body home
to enjoy dinner
in her endless scolding
not knowing
that is love
Divorced for years, she looks elegantly cold and solitary, like
a snowflake on a shriveled branch. But her middle-aged lust
resembles more and more a fresh oyster, as if
only recurring ravage could reactivate her.
Born in rural Shandong in 1973, the national award-winning poet, essayist, literary critic, and editor Duo Yu co-founded the prominent “Lower Body” Movement based in Beijing during the early 2000s. Among his multiple books of poetry and prose are Meanings Annoy Us (2004), Chasing Butterflies (2009), and The Last Darkness (2013).
Fiona Sze-Lorrain writes and translates in English, French, and Chinese. She is the author of three books of poetry, most recently The Ruined Elegance (Princeton UP, 2016). She is also a widely published translator of contemporary Chinese, French, and American poets. She lives in Paris.
Copyright (c) Duo Yu. English translation copyright (c) Fiona Sze-Lorrain, 2019.