The Black Sea

The Black Sea

After crossing, to our surprise
someone had shifted the entire river
still blocking in front of us
Our cheer shattered in the air like glass
sprinkled on the surface quietly, and sank slowly
like all the past injustice

The map was not up to us. With a gentle stroke of a pen
a million footprints erased
We put on darkness as our clothes and marched on from the end of the rainbow
holding on to each other's familiar warmth
We crossed swamps and climbed over hills
to the plaza where anger met
With the same language we shouted
The rain never stopped. The raindrops touched us
and vaporized instantly

It's a long war, not a brief battle
Even if we could not cross the long river, even if the map was not up to us
The people in black would continue to rush in
and overflow all imaginary boundaries
becoming the ocean
When that happens, the evil can no longer run from
this all-consuming
Black tsunami


Performed 2018.09.16 at A Nation in Verse and Malam Sayu Berpuisi 

Translated from 《黑海》

Like this? Please share!

Chiew Ruoh Peng

Follow me on: