Bamboo and Plum Blossom

Bamboo and Plum Blossom

Bamboo and Plum Blossom

Bamboo and Plum Blossom
Bamboo and Plum Blossom

Friday, August 14, 2015

Shang Qin (20th cent.)

Ever since she left, this cat has been coming in and
out of my place as she pleases; doors, windows, even
walls can’t stop her.
When she was with me, our life made the sparrows
outside the iron gate and iron-barred windows envious.
She took care of me in every way, including bringing me the
crescent moon with her hands on nights when there was a power outage,
and emitting cool air by standing next to me on humid summer
nights.
I made the mistake of discussing happiness with her.
That clay, contrary to my usual reticence, I said:
“Happiness is the half that people don’t have.” The
next morning, she left without saying goodbye.
She’s not the kind of woman who would write a
note with lipstick on the vanity mirror. She didn’t
use a pen either. All she did was inscribe these words
on the wallpaper with her long sharp fingernails:
“From now on, I will be your happiness, and you
mine.”
Ever since this cat started coming in and out of my
place as she pleases, I have never really seen her, for
she always comes at midnight, leaves at daybreak.

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