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Live Encounters Poetry & Writing English-Chinese Edition January 2023
Thoughts on the Afterlife, poem by Lynn Tait.
Thoughts on the Afterlife
It is a migration of birds
without eyes, without feet, who settle white in branches
on breasts and wings. When you stride through snow
in dreams or waking, you are a star-walker.
Lorna Crozier “Prayers of Snow”
We consider death so final.
In this world, for us, it must seem that way.
I try to believe it’s more like a ‘moving day’
a moving away. But I’d rather say
it is a migration of birds.
I never get a sense of us merely ending,
or as ghosts walking through halls and walls,
opening drawers, throwing objects across rooms;
maybe first we are transparent birds
without eyes, without feet, who settle white in branches.
Maybe, as we grasp the idea of infinity,
gain a sense of eternity,
we become whatever we like;
once you gain your sky legs,
realize you no longer need to rely
on breasts and wings when you stride through snow.
Angels or birds—
what if you can travel
anywhere, with just a thought,
explore entire galaxies, dance
along your own milky way? What if
in dreams and waking, you are a star-walker?
关于来世的思考
它是一次鸟儿的迁徙
没有眼睛，没有脚，在树枝间安顿白瓣
在胸脯和翅膀上。当你梦中或醒来
迈步穿越雪地，你是一个星际漫步者。
引自 “雪的祈祷” (罗娜-克罗泽)
我们认为死亡就是终局。
在这世上，对我们而言，一定看起来是那样。
我试图相信它更像是一个 “迁移日”
一次迁离。但是我宁愿说
它是一次鸟儿的迁徙。
我从没感到我们仅仅在结束，
或像幽灵一样穿过大厅和墙壁，
翻开抽屉，把物品扔过房间；
也许最初我们是透明的鸟
没有眼睛，没有脚，在树枝间安顿白瓣。
也许，当我们领悟无限的理念
获得一种永恒的感觉，
我们化成喜欢的任何东西；
一旦你获取你的天空之腿，
你发现不再需要依靠
胸脯和翅膀，迈步穿越雪地。
天使或鸟儿——
如果只需一个念想，
你就可以旅行 任何地方，
探索整个星系，沿着自我的
银河起舞？如果
梦中和醒来，你是一个星际漫步者？
Chinese translation © Anna Yin/© Lynn Tait
林恩·泰特生于多伦多，是诗人和摄影师，居住在安大略省萨尼亚市。诗作发表在许多加拿大期刊以及全球范围内的100多个选集。她是美国诗人协会、安大略省诗歌协会的成员，加拿大诗人联盟以及其他作家组织。她的首部诗集将于2023年9月由与格尔尼卡出版社出版。
Lynn Tait is a Toronto-born poet/photographer residing in Sarnia Ontario. Her poems have been published in numerous journals including FreeFall, CV 2, Trinity Review, The Quarantine Review, Literary Review of Canada, Vallum, Wild Word and in over 100 anthologies world-wide. She is a member of the American Academy of Poets, The Ontario Poetry Society, Parkland Poets, The League of Canadian Poets, The Bluewater Writers and Not-The-Rodeo-Poets. Her debut poetry book You Break It, You Buy It with Guernica Editions is forthcoming in September 2023.