Friday, October 14, 2016

Cui Yuwei 11#--Stitched Up

Cui Yuwei 11#--Stitched Up


Stitched Up 

I fold up his shirt in the morning
see a long narrow slit
in the collar, like a mouth wide open, ripped
to the corner, demonstrating how it's been ravaged

I want to throw it away
but the rest of it is still good enough to wear​

I may as well stitch it up
mum once said when a woman sewed a man’s clothes
she was in love

if I toss it, or get him a new one he won’t know
any difference

I put it down and pick it up, caress the fabric
decide finally to take out my sewing box

I sew my prayers in slowly, pulling the thread tight at each stitch
praying he’ll be a quiet drunk
praying he’ll fall into bed in his stupor
just a little smudged
like the country boy once he was

I’d smile if he murmured "mama" in his dream
I pray till the job is done
hang it up after a little ironing

a row of straight stitches is left
stiff as a dead centipede
silent as a winter cicada


《缝》

早上我叠衬衫时
发现他的衣领上有道细长的口子
像一张被撕裂的嘴
倾诉它长年如何被人蹂躏

我想扔掉它,但再看一眼发现
其它部分仍旧完好

缝起它也行
母亲说过,女人该为男人缝衣服

假如扔了它
再买件新的,他不会看出
任何差别
我用手搓着布料
还是拿出针线

小心地缝进每个祈求,每一针
都拉得很紧
我祈求他每次酒醉后安安静静
祈求他倒头就睡,脏一点也没关系
就像儿时的那个乡下男孩

如果他在梦里叫“妈妈”,我会微笑
缝完最后一针
我将它熨好,晾起

那一排细密的针脚
硬如死蝎
噤若寒蝉

4 comments:

  1. This moved me, the characters so beautifully drawn, final images stay with me. Sensual.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Sarah, for your appreciation. :)

      Delete
  2. the stitches don't sound stiff or dead...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Bronwyn, I think it refers to a Chinese saying, so I put it in Chinese below.

      Delete

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