Fan Jinghua: Internal Injuries

　　　Internal Injuries
Nothing of any perceivable shape protrudes in these dreams,
and however I turn and twist, an irregular pointed rock
pivots the tangent line between my body and damp ragged surface.
Nightmares have been shattering and reforming themselves
and leave behind an unfiltered heaviness like a tree
suddenly defoliated by poisonous fog, its branches cracked like an umbrella
in a storm, the canopy blown away, bare ribs and stretchers out of joint.
I could not even fall onto the ground, with limbs nailed to broken branches,
body loosely sprawled over the forked tree crotch like a pelt
spread over its bright colored opening of a crocodile mouth.
Something thick and salty from me is dripping down, but I cannot see,
the splattering sound is slower than time.
　　　　　　　　　　　May 13, 2008

Note: After the earthquake in Sichuan (May 12, 2008), I had bad dreams.

　　　内伤
这些梦，没有任何能感觉到的突出，
凭我如何辗转反侧，一把不规则的锐器
成为我身体与某个嶙峋的潮湿表面的支点。
噩梦自己击破自己，重组着碎片，
留下无法过滤的沉重，如毒雾在瞬间
就脱落了一棵树所有的叶子，树枝一阵劈啪，
暴风雨中的伞面撕脱，只剩扭曲打转的把手和脱臼的撑架。
我甚至不得落在地面，四肢钉在折断的枝干上，
身体绷在裂开的树杈间，如一张兽皮，
那鲜亮的开口张开鳄鱼的嘴，旋风不时向上掀我一把。
又浓又咸的液体一滴粘着一滴从我身上坠落，我却看不见，
只有那声音比时间还要缓慢。
　　　　　　　　　　　　2008年5月14日

按：四川地震后，噩梦频发。