Still

Sally she is beautiful and sad
she is always unforgettable
a thousand colors in the sky
she looks like a night breeze
the world keeps making noise
Sally just blooms quietly
she loves the sky full of stars
and will be full of tears when looking at it
sunny days she would stand on the beach
looking out of sight
rainy days she would stand in front of the window 
hair hanging on her left shoulder
no one ever heard her talk about it
where do those sorrows come from
a night breeze blows under the moon
and she sighed softly
 

Lost Things

like a paper boat
that is what we’ve lost
thought I was not worth it
today I want to cry for all that
all the desires that have never been obtained
all the heartbreaking partings
all the time of drinking pain alone
now I’m crying for you 
the lost things won't come back
drifting far away with yesterday
I'm still sad when thinking of it
maybe this is what it looks like
like a paper boat
that’s what we lost
not because I'm not worth it
but because they are not you
 

One after Another

it’s all history scattered over the place 
picking it up carefully and looking at it it is full of misery 
never any tranquility underneath here
everyone is born with a burden 
when the sun comes out we will offer everything 
and not think about tomorrow when the barn is full
here we have never learned to dream
sticking on the ground for many thousand years
keep your mouth shut when you open the door
after closing the door the gongs and drums may shake the sky
eat every grain of rice in a dirty bowl
put down the bowl and wipe your mouth and forget the past
you and I are just ants
the wind is blown away like dust
whoever cares about whose face
trying to live is the only way

Roy Gu is Professor of English at Shanghai International Studies University, China. He has published poems and short stories in both English and Chinese. He has translated several books, including Love by Toni Morrison. He is also a singer-songwriter and has released folk music albums.