Sunday, January 27, 2008

Relatively Silent ( A Memorial To Someone)

Rowdiness derailed.
Silence falls like snow,
Blankets everything, freedom and passion.


Choppy sea of a rebel's heart,
Is invisible.
What seen is deceptive and misleading.


Tranquility is relative.
There's no absolute silence,
Because noise of oration is relative.


Let's the snow fall!
Let's the wobbling mind calm!
Let's bury and silent the rebel!


Again,
Voiceless is not silence.
Void is not hollow.

He'll be back.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Revenge

"Love can be unconditional but not happiness."



The day I took revenge, everything was as normal as ever.


I stared upwards. The sun was on the edge of the building in front of me, the diffraction pattern of the sunlight was glorious. It was 4pm. Humid but there was light breeze caressing my face. I just liked this.


I passed by here every evening since I moved here 2 years ago. Of course many things had happened and many irreversible changes had been made, but life went on. This evening, everything was normal except the diffraction pattern of the sunlight was slightly different.


That’s why I lifted my head and gazed upwards, something must be wrong with the masterpiece of God I never believed in.

A figure was standing at the edge of the top of the building. He/she was wearing a black t-shirt with a faded jeans.


I lifted my hand to cover my eyes from the ferocious evening sunlight, trying to focus on what I saw. Was that figure smiling? Was that figure whining? I was not sure but he/she definitely drew a lot of people here. The crowds were doing exactly what I did, also trying to know what had happened.


My eyes were sore and dry, I thought everyone here had exactly the same problem. What on earth was she doing?


Suddenly, everyone drew a deep breath, that figure had moved forward, now with one leg dangling at the edge of the building. The figure moved forward, slowly as if there were an invisible path on the air.


Now, everyone stopped their chattering, they just watched. I watched too but I was distracted by an irritating mosquito. I turned away, trying to find that mosquito that gave me an itchy back. Then, I saw. Stunned, dumbfounded, terrified and frozen expressions from all the people around me.


Trying to make sense what had happened, I turned to the direction everyone was pointing. That figure was now airborne, falling like a piece of broken brunch. Distant sirens were approaching.


Thud!!! A light thud woke up everyone. All hell broke loose, some people were scurrying away from that woman, who was now lying motionlessly on the ground. Some people were screaming, some were resuming their chattering, but most of them just stood there, petrified perhaps.


The blood was oozing out from his mouth, while other pedestrians swiftly shifted their gaze away, I stared intently into it. I know who had previously owned that body. It’s me. I was dead, on spot, with no pain and glee felt.


X


So, I was finally dead. I looked at me, somberly, tears were welling in my eyes. But was I sore? I felt no pain and no emotion. For so long time, I had wanted to kill myself, in front of my own eyes. Ever since I knew I couldn’t love, my heart was growing weaker and my mind was growing wicker everyday. Every morning when I stared into the mirror, I could see some dark spots had gradually protruded from my temple. I understood it was a sign of wickedness.


I once loved somebody madly, if not unconditionally. I killed myself because of her and buried myself under layers of guilt. Then I emerged as a new-born child. I could no longer remember who was my old self and neither could I recognize my new self.


After embracing the ambiguous and the ubiquitous identity, I brought myself to love that person. Trying to give her everything, I had killed myself several times. Afraid of being unearthed, each time, I buried myself at the different places.


Did I say prayer to myself when I murdered myself brutally? I didn’t think so. How did I kill myself first time? Was it hanging myself in a church, hoping myself could be reincarnated in the church and be blessed forever?


Nonono, that was the second time right? Oh ya, I swallowed potassium cyanide the very last time I killed myself. Why cyanide? Maybe that’s the most painless way to die, I had been gone through a lot, I couldn’t imagine if death also came in agony and piercing pain.


However, every time I committed suicide, I was always alone. There were no witnesses, no shouting, no scrambling, no prayers. Therefore this time, I chose to die in front of the crowd, hoping that person was there.


And I was right. That person was there, smoking cigarettes graciously. I approached and confronted that person. I could sense that the person was not intimidated at all. That person looked at me in my eyes and uttered nothing. Then, that person just walked away with no qualms and guilt.


Maybe that person was right. Love perhaps was unconditional but happiness was not. The day I took revenge, I should have thought about it carefully. Now the corpse was just beside me, but I was not amused, no sense of triumph at all. What were all these revenge plans?


I killed myself for what? For that person? How naïve I was!!! I drew a deep breath, trying to make sense of everything. I was too befuddled to think, maybe all I needed was a heavy downpour to rinse my new self.


And the rain did come.


Soon after that person left, there’s a heavy downpour followed by melancholic drizzle. The corpse was not there anymore, blood was there. That person was not here anymore, scent was still there, memory still intact. Watching the blood being washed away by the drizzle, another suicide plan formed in my mind.


This time, I killed myself for nobody.

Thursday, January 17, 2008

回、离,离

My first mandarin post. Sigh, it's not as good as what i've anticipated but I still hope you all can enjoy it. For readers who can't read chinese, I'm so sorry because I can't offer you any translation and normally translation spoils the essence. Again, I'm sorry.


坐在从前所熟悉的老巴上,看着昨日还历历在目的小路上,仿佛世界变得并不多。摇晃的巴士不甚舒服,但总数昔日熟悉的景象已像倦鸟般的一一得回巢。除了已随风消逝的的以及曲而代之的异乡人,昔日的繁华还是有的,只是少了一些轻浮,多了一份务实。


有些东西的确需要提醒才记得牢,童年也是其一。如果不是刚路过那个记忆里不堪回首的肮脏菜市场,我险些忘了我曾经为了一颗彩球伤心了一夜。如果不是听见那令人难以忘怀的福州式的叫卖声,我还真是差点儿忘了外婆为我精心炮制的十全大补汤。


缓缓摇动的巴士,恍恍惚惚的心情,真是一个百感交集的一天。不爱花费太多时间的我,渐渐地有些性急了,为何还未看见那熟悉的巷口? 可能离家太旧的我以被城市的急性子感染了,但是事实是这样的吗? 我前头那顶着一头银丝的老伯,难道他不着急吗? 我自问。我身旁的人,都不赶时间吗?


数着路边那徐徐向后退缩,然后消逝的尘土与景象,我才发现我的数学,就像我的母语般,没想象中的妙。有了少许阿Q的我,还自我安慰般地把尴尬怪罪在颠簸的道路上。然而,我到底在数些什么,到底在憧憬些什么,魂不守舍的我终究也没法说服自己,更不要说别人。


莫非我是在盼望着上次拥抱遗留下的遗温? 上次? 多么可笑的念头!父母双亡的我,没有享受遗温的优待,只有遗忘的痛苦在肠子里荡气回肠。纵然外婆一手养大我,归属感终究不在。难道我的心胸如此狭窄,竟然连爱都无法容下?


看着那些路边的荒野,成群结队的野狗仿佛都在笑我无情。多么恐怖的念头啊! 然而,我井然就是个不孝‘孙’ ,要不然为何连个电话也没拨回? 回想中学时代作文里常见的开场白的那句‘爱如浮云’ ,本以为天真的想法到了大城市注定要被淘汰的,哪懂得反而加深了对爱得偏见。


就这样东扯西想,我竟然把家的巷口都忘了。一直到刺眼的午后余辉引入眼帘后,我才顿时惊醒,但是那巷口已以往都没过得速度消失。奇怪的是我还能习以为常的数着街边的一切,历史、人文、包袱、野草、电灯柱和她的倩影。


爱无力的我就在这是决定别了那辆巴士,走向可以找到她的地方。一阵扰人思绪的欲望徒然升起,阔别了那么多年,也不能说她从未出现过,但每回的探访都是那么叫人纳闷,深思。郁郁寡欢的离骚还真是挥之不去,由其瞧她还是一副若无其事的模样,我不禁民名火徒生。


事后当我试着回首时,她的错愕总是让我大为尴尬,仿佛不认得喝过洋墨水的我。但老实说,我倒不计较这些年来她带给我的惆怅。若不是当时的错愕,、我还会浑然天成地认为我变得并不多。但是伤害总是有的。仿佛过去的那些以灰飞烟灭,化作文人笔下的隐士。或许只是我没文人般的自娱娱人的幽默。


所以阔别多年的重逢并没想象中的催泪,也没有传说里的大圆满。唐突的问候、危险的试探、小心的观察,结论还是一样地让人不寒而栗。在那假惺惺的寒暄下,不是过去天真的糖衣,而是挥之不散的假面具。‘一朝君子一朝臣’ ,‘沧海桑田’ ,恐怕没有什么更令我吃惊了。


我有看错吗? 还是脑袋里的盲点在作祟? 有些东西都没变,老套一点,或许是我变了。简单的装扮、含糊的咬字、红色的肩带,都没变! 我开始回忆这你的体香,那温柔的灯光,滚烫的双臂…… 天哪!这一切还真吓人!


我用尽双眼所能表达的一切,触摸遥不可及的你。或许你并不是不在,只是时间与空间是相对的。离乡背井的我,不止学会了凡夫俗子的粗俗,连与时间赛跑的节奏,也如出一辙般的寒心。加快的脚步、扩张的距离、慢下的时间,相对论……


X


家,试问何处有寒舍? 试问和处冷暖在? 无情的摧残、恶毒的推手、是非颠倒、春夏秋冬、喜怒哀乐、家、家,家……


爱,笔划不多、不难表达、但幻影太多,沉默太深。


幸福,被时间点石成金或吞噬?


归属,被家引导、被爱左右,还是被幸福召唤?


X


我回家了。等待离别。