Ready
By Jade
A tall evergreen tree outside the window
branches intertwined
young and old
He is no longer eating and drinking
doctors say hearing is the last sense to go
so I talked and talked, in his ear
Family members flew in
funeral plans chosen
his favorite shirt to put on ironed
Dear God, why am I still not ready
to let go of his hands, holding mine tightly right now
and for half a century?
Would the evergreen branches
ever meet again, in the same tree, after
dust to dust, ashes to ashes?
August 21, 2019
《准备好了》
文/天朝玉
窗外立着一棵高大的常青树
新旧枝叉交织缠绕在一起
他已经不能饮水进食了
医生说听力是最后消失的感知
所以 我在他的耳边不停地说着话
家庭成员都从外州飞来了
殡葬计划已经选好
他最喜欢穿的衬衫也熨烫好了
亲爱的上帝，为什么我还是没有准备好
松开他的手？这双手现在正紧紧抓住我的
半个世纪以来, 一直如此
当生命轮回，尘埃落定
那些常青树枝还会在同一棵树上
再次相遇吗？
二零一九年八月二十一日
