III
no exceptions to the particulars from river-willow strips to cicada song roll up the long scroll of the dynasty strangers and guests brush shoulders as they pass count the crows on the city-gate towers the noise makes people agitated my childhood my city all the lights are blinking green signal flares rise up tanks crush historical idealism underground bass cuts in and out a knife slices through glass tree roots rupture flowers groan a command becomes a row of soldiers guns are the only truth bullet holes decorate the monument embellishments since the year 1840 —carved reliefs of modern history “no one was killed on the square” stone lions deaf-mute witnesses from West Berlin to Beijing line busy cutting in and out this is the Beijing of nursery rhymes unfortified defenseless city the only fate of resistance makes the heart clench into a fist that salutes the defeated phantoms screech through the telephone lines who is it wiretaps or jammed signals all the clocks have stopped all the chimneys hold their breath all the mirrors turn their backs all the mules are blindfolded all the water faucets choke in the throat CNN breaking news scanned photos transmitted the sky above the city smoke and flames armored vehicles steel helmets gun muzzles blood flatbed tricycles the wounded dead faces figures shake no screaming no gunfire early one Sunday morning at the Forbidden City by the shore of the Tongzi River someone still voice-training echoes bouncing off the red walls his singing so sonorous and clear rippling the corner turret aslant in the water a drumbeat leads history across the stage pushes toward the silent hospital at the surgical blade endstation youth shatters like ancient porcelain freedom tears off the old bandage the heart is the engine of madness roars turn into hushed murmurs military marches without borders
translated by: Jeffrey Yang