it’s drizzling, here I am in Najning again
the French phoenix trees still chat in Chinese
rain flower pebbles look clean
sat in the pots on the street, opening their eyes wide

I like Nanjing
I enjoy meeting my friends in the pubs
we talk about the country, poetry and women
but neither the children of the victims
nor the survivors of the massacre
have ever spoken of history with me

Translated from the Chinese by Agnes Vong and Christopher Kelen.