AN ISLAND ALONE by Li Zirui

AN ISLAND ALONE

by Li Zirui

There was once an inferno on this island

that was able to burn down everything, and

with its rolling flares

licked the waves blood-red.

The stele in the middle of the island is weathered,

the text that bears witness to time now unrecognizable.

The sea winds blows ceaselessly, the coconuts

on the tallest tree clunk softly together like silent bells.

Lynxes often appear and gaze at the azure distance

over the surging waves of the deep blue sea.

As for me, I stand above the wind, looking towards another island,

—in your direction, I look, and look...

Maybe tomorrow morning,

a mast will point towards the sun.

The wind will open her white sail,

and I will wade the distance alone

even if only for you.

About the poet:

Li Zirui, enrolled in the 2018 Chinese Language and Literature Program at Jilin University, is a member of Shandong Young Writers Association. He has published his personal poetry collection Green Masts and received the Chinese Language Award of the inaugural Lingling International Poetry Prize.