ON THE NIGHT I COLLAPSED
VOMITING BLOOD
I HAD A DREAM
IN THE SUNSET FLOATED A TELEGRAPH POLE
ONE FORGOTTEN SHADOW
AND AS THE SUNSET MELTED
IT FORMED A LAKE OF BLOOD

IN HELL
I SAW FAMILIAR FACES

A FADED TATTOO
ON MY FATHER'S BACK
A FRIGHTENED SCREAM
MY MOTHER'S VOICE
BONES EMBRACING BONES
MY GRANDPARENTS
A LUMP OF FLESH
MY BROTHER
A VOICE CALLING
MY WIFE AND CHILD

SADLY CRACKING
BONE ON BONE
HATING AND LOVING
FLESH ON FLESH
RESENTMENT BECOMES
BLOOD AND BLOOD AND BLOOD

TREMBLING
I CIRCLE THE LAKE
AND RETURN
TO WHERE I BEGAN

ON THE NIGHT I COLLAPSED
VOMITING BLOOD
I HAD A DREAM


[Xinyie Anzi, Poems of Blood]