Poetry That Makes You Think

Happy Valentine's Day!  

In honor of this day of love, poetry somehow seems fitting for ye ol' blog today.  This is a poem that I found in a newspaper probably twenty years ago.  I loved it so much I cut it out and have kept it on my desk ever since. And though it's not about love, it has a message that has always resonated deeply with me. Please enjoy:

Chongqing, China
THE RIVERBANK
Fan Ming
Translated by Andrea Lingenfelter

Red roses bloom
                In the woods
                On the other shore

There is no bridge over the river
                I linger
                Linger on this shore

Golden apples ripen
                On the branches
                On the opposite shore

There are no boats on the river
                  I linger
                  Linger on this bank

The red roses have withered
The golden apples have fallen
And I discover
                    The river
                    Is very shallow after all

~Kiki