Li Yan — “Thirteen Short Poems to Chew On” — translated by Anna Yin


1. 

Once peace is produced,
it must be sent faster than bullets
to reach every corner of the world. 

2. 

The batteries in every remote control
reveal industry’s sheer worship of Yin and Yang. 

3. 

Equality is giving each group in society
a suit to put on for the staged group photo. 

4. 

Your social reputation as a fish in water
won’t shift your wife’s view of you
in your own backyard pool. 

5. 

Many other doors lie inside the door — 
most of us are shut 
outside the inner door. 

6. 

The bridges in written words 
cannot bear the weight of true crossing. 
When one encounters such a bridge, 
one can only swim across. 

7. 

The future of the nail depends on 
encountering a hammer with a solid background. 

8. 

As we debate the issue of overpopulation, 
many have thrust themselves beyond every bottom line. 

9. 

I dreamed of living a life of luxury, 
then my dream became luxurious... 
But my life did not. 

10. 

The ball in the hands of the greedy 
is always larger than the rim of reality’s basket. 

11. 

My dream is that simple—
don’t wake it. 

12. 

From the perspective of pollution,
white paper has long disappeared.
Everyone keeps writing
on what’s already been written. 

13. 

Many victors in textbooks set off firecrackers,
but leave to their descendants the burden
of sweeping up the scraps.