The Wailing Wall
—A poem by Daxue,based on Huaiyu’s short fiction The Wailing Wall
One hundred years of blessing
cannot dry the tears
that are still so clear
Prayers converge
into an eternal common wish
I walk towards you, step by step
To listen to the stories
arising from the weeds
The duplication of history
Eyes are closed,
withered by yesterday’s hatred
Yet today’s new growth it cannot wilt
So, some demises have brought sympathy
And some, eulogies
On that fallen wall
I have placed the wish
Higher than history
Higher than gunpowder smoke
Higher, even than the love
that has never been polluted
Songs are sung
towards the yearning of the sky
And lies have reddened, with life,
the rising sun
Sincerity is buried once and again
Every narration testifies
in all languages
Transcending the wall
that cannot be transcended
I stand there with no emotion
till an unexpected encounter
A beauty that has remained
and blossoms of the age-old hope
When I give you my hand
I also give you my destiny
and an arduous dawn