THE LAMP By Li Zhiyong
THE LAMP
By Li Zhiyong
The flame is similar to a mountain, whose precipice is also blue.
Perhaps snow and boulders sit on the ridge of the mountain, reflecting light.
Someone may even be standing on it, looking at the edge of the sky.
The sun continues to rise and dip, dip and rise.
The lamp seems to be there specifically to forge something.
A stove, in the middle of the night, a silhouette busy by its side.
An excavator, a refugee, a writer, each huddles by the lamp.
It burns for their imaginings until the break of dawn.
The lamp carries the weight of its light, standing quietly on the table.
Every drop of oil takes part in fueling the flame.
When all is used up, things will take on a different look,
but it will be recognizable with the help of the lamp.
Because of the lamp, things cast shadows on the wall, even the lamp itself
casts a shadow. There is light,
therefore lamp walks out of the room, finding its way to the mountaintop.
It also finds its way to the sea.
As it glows, it hopes that the sea will dry up,
it hopes that the water will stay calm and stay cold.
About the poet:
Li Zhiyong, Han ethnicity, member of the Communist Party of China. He was born in Lintan County, Gansu Province in October 1969 and graduated from Lanzhou Teachers' College in 1991.
He has successively worked in Gannan Normal School, the Secretariat of the Gannan Prefectural Party Committee, and the Lintan County Party Committee. He once served as a member of the Standing Committee and Secretary of the Discipline Inspection Commission of the Lintan County Party Committee. Currently, he is the Deputy Director of the Gannan Prefectural Agricultural Machinery Bureau.
Since 1988, he has published poetry works in domestic newspapers and magazines such as Poetry Periodical, Poetry Monthly, Stars, Shigebao Monthly and Chinese Poetry. His works have also been selected into Herbal Collection, 99 Classic Love Poems and some annual poetry anthologies. He has won the Special Prize for Exploratory Poetry in the "3rd Love Poetry and Exploratory Poetry Competition" of Poetry Monthly. He has published a poetry collection titled The Green Book.