Two Poems by Wang Xiao

Dawn

Author/Wang Xiao

You once poured everything

into a house to contain my heartfelt longing

Whenever the setting sun

I wait for you to return with your hoe as dusk falls

You hand me a towel to wipe the sweat, revealing the steaming

big pot

Watching you gobble down food

You once wanted to use a giant brush to draw the entire South Mountain

Mixing cotton candy and leaves

Adding white clouds and rosy hues to South Mountain

Unfortunately, the caged bird always yearns to fly

Poor bird, unaware of the rain and storms outside and thunder and lightning

Now, the broken-winged bird can no longer be wrapped in longing

It has become a lifelong wish

I thought the house of longing was like reinforced concrete, impenetrable

But it's far less resilient than the small hut I had as a child

Now I want to walk every corner of the world

Not for sightseeing and recreation

But for healing

Using fresh flowers and dew to wipe away the wrinkles from your eyes

And your flame, sometimes burning like a raging fire

Sometimes as cold as the ice of the Arctic

Whenever another dawn arrives

I always long to open the window of longing

Looking out at the vast ocean

As if a little love boat is gently sailing towards me